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Mental fitness is a term that gets thrown a lot these days, especially now during the COVID pandemic. It seems like everyone is struggling with\u00a0something, <\/i>and having strong mental fitness feels more important than ever.<\/p>\n
But what does it mean to be mentally fit?<\/p>\n
In psychology, mental fitness is loosely defined as creating a state of positive well-being and learning to cultivate awareness of how we think, behave and feel.<\/b><\/p>\n
Increasing mental fitness has tons of benefits, such as:<\/p>\n
Just like we need to exercise our muscles in order to become physically fit, there\u2019s a lot we can do to become more mentally fit, too.<\/p>\n
In\u00a0The Confidence Gap: A Guide to Overcoming Fear and Self-Doubt,\u00a0<\/i>Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) expert Russ Harris describes mindfulness as a \u201cmental state of awareness, openness, and focus.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we are mindful,\u201d he writes, \u201cwe are able to engage fully in what we are doing, let go of unhelpful thoughts, and act effectively without being pushed around by our emotions.\u201d<\/p>\n
You might think of this as meditation, or even as \u201cturning off the mind.\u201d But mindfulness and meditation are different;\u00a0in meditation, you typically sit with your eyes closed and focus on your breath, how your body feels, or even the sounds around you. Mindfulness, on the other hand, can be practiced anywhere, in any situation.<\/p>\n
Practicing mindfulness involves learning to be present and aware. You can be mindful of anything\u2014for example, the colors in the sky and the trees around you, the warmth on your skin as you sit outside in the sun, or the words of someone you\u2019re having a conversation with.<\/p>\n
By becoming more mindful, you\u2019ll notice that you\u2019re less reactive, more able to bounce back from surprises and setbacks, and more confident in your general ability to deal with life.<\/p>\n
Want to \u201cexercise\u201d your mind and improve your mental fitness? Here are a few suggestions:<\/p>\n
Build in periods of mindfulness throughout your day.\u00a0<\/b>The easiest way to start doing this is to add mindfulness to habits you already have. For example, take a few minutes to do a body scan and connect to your breath before getting out of bed each morning. Or take a moment to savor the taste of your morning coffee as you take your sip.<\/p>\n
The more you practice being mindful, the easier it becomes. If you notice yourself getting caught up in your thoughts, you can gently turn your attention to the present. This way, you start to build it in naturally throughout your day.<\/p>\n
Meditate regularly.\u00a0<\/b>I know people who meditate for half an hour or more every single day. I am not one of them. Even sitting down to five to ten minutes of meditation is challenging for me.<\/p>\n
But meditating has a whole host of benefits, including building the skill to become aware of your thoughts (rather than be controlled by them), improving focus and concentration, reducing anxiety, enhancing self-awareness, and so on. Meditating regularly for even just a short amount of time each day can supercharge your mental fitness.<\/p>\n
There are a lot of different styles of meditation. The best thing to do is to experiment and find out which you connect with the most. I\u2019m a big fan of Sam Harris\u2019s\u00a0Waking Up app, which has guided meditations that are around ten minutes long. If you can\u2019t do ten minutes, even a few minutes a day can make a difference over time.<\/p>\n
Keep a gratitude journal.<\/b>\u00a0Paying attention to what you\u2019re grateful for trains your brain to look for the positive rather than always focus on the negative. Aim to write down at least ten things you\u2019re grateful for every single day.<\/p>\n
They don\u2019t have to be big things \u2014 even small things such as fresh blueberries, laughing at a funny joke, or connecting with a friend for coffee count. Try and look for new things each day, and don\u2019t just repeat the same things every single day.<\/p>\n
Keep track of your small wins.<\/b>\u00a0Just like keeping a gratitude journal, the practice of keeping track of your wins trains your brain to look for what you did well instead of focus on all you\u2019ve done wrong. Try journaling your wins and anything you did well (no matter how small) at the end of each day.<\/p>\n
Train your body.\u00a0<\/b>You can\u2019t be mentally fit without being physically fit and healthy, too. Physical and mental fitness are intertwined. Exercise, sleep, and good nutrition will go a long way to increase both your physical and<\/i> mental fitness.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, when you train your body, you\u2019re training your mind, too.<\/p>\n
Teaching yourself that you can do difficult things in the gym helps build confidence, increases mental toughness, and builds resilience. Becoming more comfortable with the feeling of being uncomfortable sets you up to take on more of life\u2019s challenges.<\/p>\n
As a result, the mental skills you build in the gym will carry over to the rest of your life, as well.<\/p>\n
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\u201cBetween stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.\u201d<\/i>\u00a0\u2014 Viktor Frankl<\/p>\n
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