Mental toughness is important for success in all areas of our lives, and building resilience can help us achieve more, feel less stress and improve our quality of life. What is mental toughness? It’s having a strong character and the ability to adapt to new situations. The world today is an unpredictable place, which means we all have to develop mental resilience to be successful. But it’s often easier said than done as it takes real effort, it requires hard work on your part and dedication to succeed.

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Why we need mental strength now more than ever‍

Stress is inevitable. Whether it’s work-related, brought on by family life, or by external events, we live in a world where stress is pervasive. When it comes to work, everything seems to be wanted by tomorrow! Deadlines are getting shorter, workloads are getting bigger. This can have negative effects on our minds and bodies, and can take its toll on us if we let it. However, the good news is that we can improve our levels of resiliency and mental strength. By doing this, we will be able to handle stressful situations more effectively and embrace challenges rather than fearing them.

How do we build and develop mental strength?

There are many ways of building mental strength and resilience that will help you cope better and make you more calm, confident and motivated in the future.

Exercise is a good start. Not only is it good for your physical health but it's also important for boosting your mental health. When you exercise your body releases endorphins which are natural mood enhancers. Your brain also produces higher levels of serotonin which makes you feel happy and positive. This can have a positive impact on your motivation, memory and overall performance at work. Exercise has been shown to play a large role in battling anxiety and depression. If you're not one of these guys that likes to hit the gym- don’t sweat it. Try other forms of exercise like cycling, walking or swimming.

A good sleep routine is another good idea. Making sure you get enough sleep is vital in maintaining a healthy you. Stick to a regular sleep pattern and aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night and plan to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.  Unfortunately, a lot of Americans aren’t getting the right amount of quality sleep. This can lead to problems ranging from performance during the day to weight gain, cardiovascular trouble and diabetes, depression, and even an increased risk of cancer. Getting a more sufficient amount of sleep is essential for your health. Simple things like avoiding blue light a couple of hours before you go to bed, that means no smartphone surfing!  You can also try pillow sprays that contain lavender, which is known to have a calming effect and can be incredibly soothing. Also try to eat the right things in the evening like whole-grain bread, chicken, brown rice and nuts. Oh, and avoid things like spicy foods and caffeine. 

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Make time for stress-reducing activities in your daily routine

It's important to make sure that you are reducing stress in your life. While there's no easy way to relieve all the stress, there are some great things you can do each day to help reduce your stress. Here are a few to try: Deep breathing exercises which can work with meditation and mindfulness. Controlled breathing has been proven to slow down heart rates and improve your well-being. Daily exercise is also excellent as a stress buster, be it going to the gym, jogging, swimming or just walking. Yoga is also very good for building inner strength. It  relieves chronic stress, improves posture, and improves sleep. Even simple things like taking a walk in a park, relaxing in a bath or listening to chilled out music can all help to reduce stress on a daily basis.

Set realistic goals and expectations for yourself

In order to build up resistance and mental strength, always set goals that are important and true to who you are. Never compromise your values and ensure that all of your goals can work in harmony with each other. For instance if you set yourself a goal to go running 3 times a week, make sure you enjoy running! If you don’t, then try cycling. Setting yourself goals is a great way to improve fitness, well-being and staying positive.

Start off with short term goals that you can achieve easily and that allow you to keep motivated. Then build up to medium goals once you feel you are making progress. Before you know it, you’ll be happily setting yourself long term goals that are within your grasp.

So to sum up

We hope you’ve found this article helpful, and that it will enable you to build the resilience and mental strength to conquer the challenges life throws your way. There are many different methods of developing mental strength. Concentrate on the key ones that resonate best with you and practice them as much as possible. Perhaps you can think of your own tools alongside these. Just do things your own way and at your own pace. But no matter what, the sooner you start, the better off you’ll be down the road.