How to Increase Mental Strength

Co-authored by Jai Flicker

Last Updated: October 16, 2022 References Approved

Mental toughness, like physical toughness, requires that you exercise. Learning to strengthen your mind, improving your concentration, and staying calm will take some work, but you can get the basic skills you need to stay strong of mind.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Strengthening Your Mind

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Read everything. Recent studies show that people who enjoy reading novels are more easily able to empathize with others, a sign of a strong and well-rounded mind.^{[1]
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Research source} If you want to work on increasing your mental strength, read a variety of things that you enjoy.
- You don't have to jump straight into reading Ulysses if you want to improve your mental strength, and in fact, trying to read something too difficult might turn you off reading entirely. Instead, focus on reading things you enjoy. Westerns, romance novels, and long-form magazines are all good ways to read.
- Try replacing an hour of television each evening with reading, instead. Invest the time that you might normally spend idling, chatting with friends, or watching the tube in reading a good book.
- Get a library card and take advantage of the library in your town for free entertainment. Try to read one new book every two weeks. Try your best to read from physical books rather than on e-readers.^{[2]
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2
Try to learn something new every week. Ever get the feeling that each day looks a lot the same? As we get older, our mental pathways are more and more defined. Where each summer day seemed to last forever when we were kids, the weeks peel off more quickly as you age. Mental strength requires that you continue building new neural pathways by learning new things.^{[3]
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- Get out of your comfort zone so you can continue to challenge yourself.
- The more regularly you pick up a new skill, or study a new subject, the stronger your mind becomes. Try to pick up one new thing every week, then continue working on it as you learn new things. Build up your mental strength gradually.
- wikiHow is a great resource for learning new things. Learn how to play chess, change your oil, or play guitar.
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3
Socialize more. "Book smarts" are important, but it's also important to understand how things play out in the real world. Social intelligence and wit are important parts of all-around mental health and well-being. If you can't carry on a conversation, work on your social skills along with your mental health building skills.
- Have complicated conversations instead of gossiping. Talk about things that are important to you or things that you've been learning. Try starting or joining a book club in your area.
- Try to meet lots of different kinds of people. If you're in school, don't stick to just one social group, but move around. If you're an adult, try to meet people from socio-economic situations different from your own. Hang out with your plumber, and hang out with your doctor.
4
Challenge yourself. Try things that you're not sure you'll be able to pull off. Decide that you're not only going to learn guitar, but that you're going to learn to shred a fast solo note-for-note. Decide that you're not only going to play chess, but that you're going to study openings and learn to play like a grandmaster. Keep working on a task until you're at the difficult setting.
- Video games are a mixed bag when it comes to mental strength. Some research shows that video games aid in problem-solving, fine motor skills, logistics, and analysis.^{[4]
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  Research source} Other research points to the negative effects of violence and social isolation associated with video games, decreasing moral sensitivity and attention span.^{[5]
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- Nourish yourself with complex entertainment, and avoid click-bait. If you've ever seen a long newsreel and thought, "Jeez, TLDR" then it's probably time to unplug a little. Reading Buzzfeed or watching YouTube videos of epic fails is like eating three Skittles at lunch. Reading a book or watching a documentary is like eating a meal.
5
Exercise your mind regularly. Just as you can't build muscle by eating cake for three weeks straight before you start lifting at the gym, you can't gain mental strength by goofing off and then focusing only every now and then. Being consistent with brain exercise is more important than the intensity of the workout.
- Even just doing a crossword puzzle or a sudoku every day may decrease your chances of losing mental awareness as you become older while increasing your verbal fluency.^{[6]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Improving Concentration

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Do one thing at a time. Splitting your attention among multiple tasks makes the quality of thought that you're giving to each task less. A recent social and psychological study revealed that chronic multi-tasking in a variety of interactive media makes us poorer students, workers, and less efficient learners.^{[7]
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- Start prioritizing the most important things you have to do each day and just focus your attention there. Write out a list to start the day, and work through it.
- Finish one thing before starting another. Even if you find something challenging, stick with it until you're done. Switching between tasks is often more difficult than finishing something you've started.
2
Take frequent short breaks. Recent studies show that as short a break as five minutes every hour results in more efficiency than a single long break in the middle of a workday.^{[8]
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Research source} Let your brain rest and refresh, to give yourself the best chance of staying mentally strong throughout a difficult task.
3
Get rid of distractions. For lots of people, the chatter of the radio in the background, or the noise of the television is part of almost every minute. If you have a lot of white noise and static in your life, try replacing it with soft relaxing music. Let yourself focus on doing one thing only, instead of trying to entertain yourself while you work.
- Focusing more on what you're doing will have the added benefit of letting you finish your work more quickly. If you're trying to watch a show at the same time, it'll take longer.
- Want to really eliminate distraction? Get off the Internet. When you're trying to study and Facebook is only a click away, it's awfully tempting to mess around. Use a web-blocker or a site-blocker if you can't unplug yourself.
- Leave your phone in another room or on silent so you avoid frequently checking it.
4
Be here now. It may sound overly simple, but one excellent way of focusing your attention back to a task when you find your mind wandering is to remind yourself, "Be here now." Don't think about what you're eating for lunch, or what you're doing later tonight, or what's going to happen this weekend. Just be here now and do what you're doing.^{[9]
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- Try using a keyword mantra, if you don't like "Be here now." Pick a password or a keyword from what you're doing. If you're doing math homework, make it "math" or another related vocab word. When you notice your attention waning, repeat the keyword until you can re-focus.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Calming Your Mind

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Be optimistic. Go into each task you perform assuming that you will succeed. Having the right attitude will ensure that your mind is focused in the right places, staying clear of the negative thoughts that can drag you down.^{[10]
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Research source} Emotional support and strength start within.
- Practice visualization to help with positive thinking. Try actually closing your eyes and "watching" yourself succeed in the task before you. Whatever it is, try to picture yourself doing it correctly and finishing.
2
Let go of petty thoughts. To stay calm and positive, try to let go of petty ego-driven thoughts and concerns, and focus on what's most important. Is what you're wearing important? Is where you're going for dinner? Is what you're going to do this weekend critical to your well-being and mental health? Probably not.
- Stop comparing yourself to other people. It's not good to do better than someone else, or to beat someone else, it's just good to improve your own abilities. Focus on improving yourself, not winning.
- Avoid striving for perfectionism since it can create a lot of pressure on you.
3
Assume the best intentions of others. Don't go looking for something to make you angry or frustrated. Take things at face value and don't over-think your interactions. Your boss probably isn't singling you out and picking on you irrationally. Your friends probably aren't spreading rumors about you behind your back. Stay strong and be confident. You've got this.
- Stay out of other people's business as much as possible. Don't spread gossip or be a collector of gossipy stories. Focus on yourself.
4
Meditate. Taking a bit of time in your day to slow down and focus your thoughts can help you build a strong and calm mind. Meditation doesn't have to be a strange or mystical experience, either. Just find a quiet place and sit for 15-45 minutes each day. That's it.
- Sit comfortably and focus on your breathing. Feel your breath going in and nourishing your body. Feel it leaving your body and entering the world.
- Watch your thoughts come and go without identifying with them. Just let them happen. Stay unattached from them. Focus on your breath.
5
Listen to Baroque Music. Recent studies have shown that baroque music has the amazing ability to attain a state of deep concentration and focus by preparing alpha brain state in your mind which helps you to boost your learning vocabulary, memorizing facts or reading.
- Select some good baroque music tracks and make a habit of listening to them regularly in your free times or while your working or studying.
6
Do physical exercise as well as mental exercise. Exercise releases endorphins in your brain, which help to calm and strengthen your brain.^{[11]
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Trustworthy Source
American Psychological Association
Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists
Go to source} Getting 30 minutes of exercise a few days a week will help you to stay calmer and more mentally strong. Additionally, one form of exercise that helps the mind relax and can greatly improve mental toughness, is yoga.

Expert Q&A
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Question

What is a growth mindset?

Jai Flicker
Academic Tutor
Jai Flicker is an Academic Tutor and the CEO and Founder of Lifeworks Learning Center, a San Francisco Bay Area-based business focused on providing tutoring, parental support, test preparation, college essay writing help, and psychoeducational evaluations to help students transform their attitude toward learning. Jai has over 20 years of experience in the education management industry. He holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of California, San Diego.

Jai Flicker

Academic Tutor

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It's believing on a fundamental level that intelligence is variable. It can change over time, it can increase and grow with hard work. It's embracing the idea that if you actually work hard and engage in challenging activities, your ability will grow.
Question

How do I become the top 1 kabaddi player in the world?

Paul Chernyak, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
Paul Chernyak is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Chicago. He graduated from the American School of Professional Psychology in 2011.

Paul Chernyak, LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor

Expert Answer

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In order to become good at something, you need focus and practice. Make time to play, but make sure that time is directed at improving a specific skill. Be persistent and over time, you will get better at the game.