Regulate Your Emotions and Thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever met a mentally strong person who often has emotional outbursts? Probably not. That\u2019s the definition of being a mentally strong person: the ability to control yourself. That doesn\u2019t mean that you don\u2019t feel these powerful emotions. You just don\u2019t let them run rampant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experiencing numerous conflicts, tragedies, and setbacks throughout your life is inevitable, whether it\u2019s on a professional and personal level. But rather than caving into the pressure, mentally strong people know how to regulate their emotions so that they don\u2019t say or do anything that will end up costing them in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Morin says, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThey don\u2019t let their anger cause them to do things that they later regret, or if they\u2019re sad they don\u2019t get stuck in a bad mood.\u201d She also adds that they are \u201cable to control their feelings well enough that they can move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Mental strong people also don\u2019t let their strong emotions affect their mental health. That means that they know how important it is to control their thoughts, so that they don\u2019t linger on the negative stuff. The key is finding a balance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of being an overly pessimistic person, thinking that\u2019s how you\u2019re going to protect yourself– or being overly positive\u2014the real power is in identifying the harmful, untrue thoughts that have negative effects and replacing and reframing them with more realistic statements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take Positive Action<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When life knocks you down, not only do you move forward, but you actively take positive action. That means that you don\u2019t let an obstacle stop you from moving on to another goal or project. It also means turning a negative into a positive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mentally strong people don\u2019t wait for the moment to pass. If they\u2019re having a bad day or if they feel like their routines are dull, they\u2019ll think, \u201cWhat can I do about this?\u201d instead of convincing themselves that it\u2019s not worth trying or that it\u2019s too ambitious. And then they make a plan and make it a reality. They create concrete steps they can take to make their life better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stop Having Unhealthy Beliefs About the World<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Having an unhealthy belief about the world holds you back, keeping you stuck in limbo, a cycle of \u201cWhy is this happening to me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cold, hard truth is that the world doesn\u2019t owe us anything. Even if we put in enough hard work and follow all the steps, success isn\u2019t always guaranteed. Most people expect success to fall into their laps. This is a bad expectation that will lead to disappointment. It\u2019s time to give it up, along with all the rest of unhealthy beliefs you are holding on to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When something bad happens, it\u2019s always all right to feel sad. But drowning in self-pity is an unnecessary escalation of that sadness. It doubles the misfortune you feel and prolongs the pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When thoughts like \u201cWhy do these bad things keep happening to me?\u201d and \u201cWhy me<\/em>? I shouldn\u2019t have to deal with this!\u201d are constantly on your mind, they keep you fixated on the problem instead of finding a solution. If you adopt a healthy mentality, even when you can\u2019t find a solution, you can move on and find a way to make your life better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throwing a party pity takes more time and effort than you think. Accepting that life isn\u2019t fair and that there is no cosmic reward waiting for you does wonders for your mental health. It\u2019s freeing. You know that you won\u2019t always be rewarded for your efforts, but you will also know that this suffering isn\u2019t permanent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The world, your happiness– they\u2019re both a product of your mentality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t Ignore Your Emotions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ignoring and bottling up your emotions is the oppositte of being mentally healthy, never mind strong<\/em>. Keeping everything buried inside is like carrying around a time bomb. At some point, you\u2019re going to either explode or you\u2019re going to encounter a situation that needs all the mental strength you can muster\u2014only to find little of it available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We ignore our feelings because we\u2019re uncomfortable with them. Feelings like sadness, fear, and hurt make us feel, well, awful, and they pull us out of our comfort zone. So, we cower from them and even go to great lengths to avoid fully feeling that discomfort, resorting to drowning in self-pity or denial or external solutions like overworking, binge eating, and alcohol and drugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As good and distracting as these solutions feel, they\u2019re only temporary distractions and a bandaid on a bleeding wound. The pain is prolonged, and it\u2019s going to come back tenfold. The only true solution is to let yourself experience these uncomfortable emotions as they come. Let yourself feel, be sad, be angry, be hurt, and then let it go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take Care of Yourself<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Having a better lifestyle covers a lot of territory, but here\u2019s the gist. You know how they say that mental strength is similar to physical strength? Like your mind is a muscle you need to constantly train, maintain, and take care of? When we want to be physically healthy and strong, we go to the gym and exercise. And then we take further care of our bodies by eating well, and quitting harmful substances, like junk food and soda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking care of your body is also a step towards having a healthy mentality, but it goes far beyond that. Mental strength is virtually the same as physical strength. If you want to be strong in that sense, bad habits such as envy, jealousy, resentment, and constantly comparing yourself to others are the opposite of nurturing your brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be Both Soft and Strong<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At this point, you know that the world isn\u2019t black and white. There are realms of grey that go beyond what\u2019s considered mental strength. People think that being soft makes you weak, makes you vulnerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And they think that exuding toughness and power are the only ways you can be strong. This is wrong. It\u2019s not just possible to be both strong and soft, but it\u2019s actually necessary<\/em>. This balance is imperative to mental strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t Settle<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Settling for something that isn\u2019t good enough is never worth it. When you recognize your inner strength, you\u2019ll know your worth, and something that\u2019s not up to your standards isn\u2019t worth it. Accepting anything less than satisfactory will end up bringing up those old feelings of resentment, doubt, and insecurities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t Wait for Others\u2019 Approval<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is the pinnacle of being mentally strong! Have you ever met a mentally strong person who waited for someone else to praise them and constantly looked for their approval?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer is no. They praise themselves rather than waiting for others who may or may not grant that approval. This doesn\u2019t mean that you should have a superiority complex. The simple act of recognizing your own achievements and having a genuine appreciation for them is a fundamental pillar of having a healthy mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stand Up for Yourself<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Being mentally strong doesn’t just mean rolling with the hits and bouncing back from them. It also means being strong enough to stand up for yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When someone picks on you, this doesn\u2019t have to be a dark moment to look back on. This could be the moment you stand up for yourself and build your confidence. This also applies to people not believing in you. Stand up for yourself when someone tells you that you can\u2019t <\/em>accomplish something. Prove the haters wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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