Our ability to tackle personal and professional challenges usually hinges on our willpower. How we react to stress and adversity can have a significant impact on our life satisfaction and is a crucial skill to develop.
Whether you wish to be more confident with the opposite sex or you want to gain a promotion at work, your mental disposition is the basis upon which everything is built. In most cases, the process can take years and years of dedicated work, and some people will never reach that level of mental resilience.
“Having a proactive approach and setting goals is vital for your success,” claims Piper Walsh, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist from South Orange County. According to her, there are many things people can do to improve their state of mind. While changing your outlook on life won’t solve your problems, it will make them more bearable.
In this article, we’ll cover some basic techniques that will up your mental game.
Table of Contents
1. Become self–aware
Self-awareness should be one of your top priorities if you wish to become a stable, happy person. Being able to assess your flaws can go a long way in becoming a better person, but it can also assist during conflicts.
People with higher self-awareness have the ability to recognize their feelings and adequately react to them. They understand the mechanisms behind their thoughts and can objectively assess the problem. Most importantly, these individuals can determine if they were the ones causing the issue and how they can do better.
High self-awareness is the basis of social skills. If you understand how people around you feel and why they react a certain way, you can quickly solve numerous conflict situations. Self-awareness can help you out whenever you say or do something stupid, allowing you to assess your actions better and whether you’re right or wrong.
2. Control your thoughts
Whether we like to admit it or not, we’re all emotional beings and products of our environment. Even the most mild-mannered individuals have a list of things that can quickly infuriate them. However, the fact we feel angry or sad doesn’t mean we should always act upon that emotion.
Controlling your thoughts is vital for individuals who are prone to depressive thoughts, self-doubt, and anxiety. For example, while fear is an entirely natural, instinctive reaction, that doesn’t mean we’re endangered every time we feel fear.
The best way to control your emotions and thoughts is through self-awareness. First, you need to be aware of the situation you’re in and why you’ve reacted in a certain way. Then, you need to assess whether your first reaction is on the spot or if you’re exaggerating. Once you do so, you can program your mind to turn that negative sentiment into a positive one.
3. Learn about your motivations
In the world of self-help, motivation is a popular buzzword. Whether you wish to become rich, have a beautiful family, or become a better person, you need that internal drive that will guide your actions. Unfortunately, many people struggle with this concept because they don’t know how to define it properly.
We differentiate two main types of motivation: extrinsic and intrinsic. While a person might pursue both types, it’s best to figure out which is better for your particular case.
Having intrinsic motivation means striving to achieve a goal for this goal’s sake. For example, you run not because you want to get healthy or become stronger but because you enjoy the feeling of running.
On the other hand, extrinsic motivations hinge on some kind of reward. Perhaps the best example of that is work; while you might not like your job and its repetitiveness, you want the paycheck that comes with it. Generally speaking, having both types of motivation would be ideal as it would have a massive impact on your drive.
4. Become mindful
Mindfulness is a mental skill that allows people to “exist” at the moment. People with high mindfulness are well aware of their surroundings, and even if their thoughts stray, they can easily pull back to this moment. Having this skill is especially beneficial for people who struggle with anxiety, fears, and overthinking.
In a nutshell, mindfulness is a process that eliminates distractions from our lives. It’s meant to soothe our body and mind and provide us with energy for daily activities. Many people boost this skill by improving their overall concentration and practicing meditation.
5. Build proactive confidence
Self-confidence is probably the best way to tackle anxiety and fear and works as a counterbalance to self-doubt. No matter what some people might think, this is another skill you can influence and one of those things that can have a major impact on your quality of life.
Even though becoming confident might take some time, there are lots of ways to get there. First and foremost, you should improve self-care. Introducing a good diet, exercising, and good sleeping habits is an excellent way to start. Furthermore, you should have a growth mindset and constantly challenge yourself.
Unfortunately, the environment is one of the biggest obstacles to being confident. Whether we’re talking about family or friends or daily news, there are numerous things that can put us down. So, another thing you should do is surround yourself with good-spirited people and cut out any negativity from your life.
