3 Tips To Improve Your Mental Fitness and Resilience
When we hear the word "fitness" our minds often brings us to think about physical fitness. We might envision someone who is in great shape or a person that can complete demanding physical activities without a problem. Physical fitness is not the only fitness we should think about regularly.
What I have come to find over the years is that mental fitness is just as important if not MORE important than physical fitness. Our mental fitness is the thing that gives us the courage to try things that we may be afraid or hesitant to try. It helps us to think through tough decisions, and stay sane through tough circumstances. It is also what helps us to stay sharp and quick thinking.
During my tour in Afghanistan and for months following my return, it took mental fitness to keep me from having a nervous breakdown and to remain positive and adapt to my life again.
So what are some ways that we can improve our mental fitness? Well today I want to share 3.
Thinking positive and being optimistic is the first way we can improve mental fitness. Looking at the bright side can help us feel better and look forward to the future. Personally, when I think negatively I feel down, and out...which causes fatigue and irritability. When I have a negative attitude I don't want to do much and I'm not motivated to pursue my goals.
On the other hand, thinking positive about my life and my future keeps me motivated and mentally strong. Positive thinking gives me the desire to keep going on.
There is not much better for mental fitness than challenging yourself. This is just like physical fitness, the heavier you lift, the stronger you become. The same thing applies for challenging yourself mentally. For instance, if there is something you just can't imagine you would be able to do because it is too hard, try it. This will build your confidence and mental fitness. Is there something that you are afraid of? Face it, doing this will help you to eliminate irrational fears and give you confidence from facing things that were actually scary to you.
This method really helped me when it came to calming my anxiety. There were times when I just didn't want to go to crowded places such as the mall and public events. I was afraid that my anxiety would skyrocket and send me into a panic attack. This has happened before so I will call it a rational fear. But instead of avoiding these situations I decided to challenge myself and face them. The more I did, the more comfortable and less anxious I became in these types of situations.
Workout your brain.
This last way of improving mental fitness is the most practical one and that is to workout your brain. You can do this by reading, learning a hobby, painting, drawing, playing brain games. All of these will help to keep your brain working and thinking which in turn helps improve your mental fitness.
Mental fitness is an important part to our overall health and wellness. I hope you will try out some of these ideas for keeping mentally fit.