How to Create Mental Fitness for Inner Strength

When you say the words “Physical Fitness” - most people have an idea of what that means to them and how to achieve it. Even if they are not taking action at that moment - they could tell you what they think it looks like.

So what do you think of when I say the phrase “Mental Fitness”?

Not sure how to answer that?

Then this blog is perfect to help you understand WHAT it is and WHY mental fitness is so important in your day-to-day life, as well as some simple ways to start “building your mental strength!”

What is Mental Fitness

Simply put, Mental Fitness is the foundation for your mental and emotional resilience.

They are the skills you practice every day to be able to handle all the ups and downs that life can throw at you.

Some people assume Mental Fitness is a trait you either have or don’t. It is actually something you can learn, train, and strengthen - just like your physical fitness.

By reframing the way you think about your mental wellness and health, you can start thinking of mental fitness the same way you think about physical fitness.

Mental fitness involves many of the same habits, routines, structure, consistency, and practice that help you proactively and preventatively maintain your physical health.

Just like physical fitness, having mental fitness does not completely protect you from experiencing life and occasionally getting hurt.

Even when you are physically fit - you can still experience some minor pulls, strains, and areas of weakness at times.

Mental Fitness is one of the keys to your being able to adapt, pivot, set boundaries, and be resilient. The things that you need to find BALANCE.

When you have enough time to practice these coping strategies, it becomes easier to handle life’s unexpected moments.

Through practice, you’ve made those skills automated to help you handle things much easier.

So you're not just waiting 'till you're in a crisis or a crunch moment when things are hard to learn or use the skill.

Integrating it as part of your daily routine helps make it part of your lifestyle, thus making it feel easy.

Ways to Start Building Your Mental Fitness

In the same way, you would start a physical fitness routine, you're going to look at incorporating some of those same training techniques for your mental fitness.

The most important thing is to PLAN AHEAD and have areas you want to work on.

By deciding what you are working on, you will know which exercises and mental muscles you need to strengthen.

Are you struggling with seeing options? Do you find yourself saying “yes” to everything? Do you find yourself thinking pessimistically and having limiting beliefs about situations (or even yourself - eek)? Or maybe you get stuck in a perfection-procrastination loop?

This is just one of the areas strengthening your Mental Fitness can help with.

Next, recognize that there's NOT just ONE WAY to work on your Mental Fitness.

You'll wanna mix things up to keep from being bored. Because when things are boring you become less engaged and committed, and unfortunately, stop doing them.

You need to approach things in a variety of ways to help build a variety of strengths. This helps you cope in different ways with different things.

To be able to pivot, adapt, have a different perspective, see things differently, as well as to incorporate different strategies in achieving the overall goal of mental fitness.

Ultimately, doing things consistently and in a way that feels effortless is how you find success and also helps you have some ease and breathing room in your schedule.

So the third step is to keep it SIMPLE.

Finding success doesn't have to come from doing hard things. If you think about it, you don't avoid easy things as much as you avoid hard things - am I right?

It's also going to be easier to remember when what you're doing is not complicated.

Like - I have this “go-to” artichoke spinach dip recipe that I make for basically any event I’m going to or hosting. It’s savory, cheesy, creamy, and a little garlicky - basically like the comfort of a hug in a casserole dish.

And honestly, it's THE simplest thing in the world - like 5 ingredients (message me if you want the recipe - I love to share it!).

It's also always the first thing to finish and people always ask for the recipe. So sometimes having that easy go-to thing is what's going to be the most successful - versus something that's super time-consuming and complicated.

The last thing is to be CONSISTENT by practicing every day. This practice is how you're going to seamlessly integrate it into your day-to-day life. So that in a moment of stress, it's going to be the easiest thing to turn and find relief.

It is why you need to have a system to address and ensure you are consciously integrating routines and practices to strengthen yourself in every area. To have a strong fitness routine not just from a physical standpoint but also a resilient mental place.

So, please let me know in the comments below what part of the mental fitness tips and routines you would like to start implementing. I’d love to know what works for you and what you need a little help with.