As a psychotherapist and a clinical social worker, Amy Morin has seen her fair share of patients and clients who need her expertise on the topic of mental health. Her years in the job showed her firsthand that people are capable of growing mentally stronger with time and practice.
To help you develop your own mental muscle, as Morin calls it, use the following qualities that mentally strong people tend to have as a guide.
Genetic Advantage
Unfortunately, genetics is truly like a lottery. Some people are simply blessed to not be predisposed to have certain mental illnesses like depression and anxiety.
Still, having a genetic disadvantage doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything to better your mental well-being. Your task now is to try to become the best version of yourself despite having a genetic disadvantage.
Learning from Experience
Mental health experts often put emphasis on how your childhood experiences significantly shaped who you are today. Being aware of how your past and how it affects you in the present can help you adjust your responses to what life puts in front of you.
People who are mentally strong tend to use their past as a learning opportunity and gain new perspectives on things.
Winning Personality
Similar to good genes, some people are just lucky to have personalities that attract healthy attention, according to Morin. This makes them more likely to encounter better opportunities and develop healthy relationships.
If you aren’t as gifted with charisma and other likable traits, you might find it more difficult to strengthen your mental muscle as your interactions with others actually affect your mental strength.
The Right Environment
Aside from genetics, the environment you grew in and now live in greatly affects your mental well-being. For example, being surrounded by negative people or constant chaos can’t be good for you.
Mentally strong people try to create healthy environments for themselves instead of wasting brainpower dealing with a toxic environment. Thus, they set themselves up for success and reserve their energy on things that matter most.
Room for Improvement
Lastly, Morin pointed out how mentally strong people tend to dedicate energy and time into not only growing but also challenging themselves.
This means they’ve tried a variety of coping techniques and lifestyle tweaks to find out what works best for them. What worked for them might not work you so it’s important that you do your own experimenting too.
This kind of learning and challenging yourself should continue on as there’s always room for improvement.