8 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do

You have probably heard before that one of the keys to success is to focus on your strengths. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with expanding on the things that you are already good at, you could be missing an important ingredient in your life that might be holding you back:

Not focusing on your weaknesses.

No one wants to think about the things they struggle with, but think about it this way; you can work hard by adding new, healthy habits to your life. But, if you are ignoring the ‘bad’ habits or the things that are weakening you, you will never reach your full potential. Those habits can work against your mental strength. Mentally strong people don’t do certain things, and don’t fall into some of these habits. With that in mind, let’s look at eight things mentally strong people don’t do, so you can start to shed some of your own habits that might be holding you back.

1. Waste Time on Their Sorrows

Mentally strong people don’t sit around feeling sorry for themselves, no matter what their circumstances may be. Failures and setbacks will happen. It is how you respond to them that will make a difference. Exaggerating your problems or throwing a pity party will only make things worse. Choose to have a more positive attitude even in times of struggle in order to boost your mental fitness.

2. Feel Like a Victim

When you tell yourself that other people have a direct impact on how you feel, you are giving them the power and taking it away from yourself. For example, if you believe that your boss ruins your day, you are giving them the power. You are playing the victim. You cannot choose what happens to you in a day but you can choose your attitude towards it. Take back the power in your own life and don’t let others steal it from you.

3. Try to Prevent Change

Change happens whether we like it or not. Mentally strong individuals don’t shy away from change. Rather, they focus on their ability to adapt. The more you can adapt to change with a positive attitude, the more you will be able to encourage change and growth within yourself. Don’t get stuck in your old ways, especially when change can make things better.

4. Worry About Things Out of Their Control

Things will happen every day that you cannot control. Mentally strong people don’t waste their time or energy worrying about those things, because there is simply no point. Again, the only thing you can really control is your attitude and reaction in response to different situations – whether they are good or bad. Wasting your energy worrying over things that are out of your hands will only deplete you, and make you feel weaker.

5. Try to Please Everyone

It is human nature to want people to like you and accept you. Unfortunately, it is impossible to please everyone all of the time. If you spend all of your energy trying to make everyone else happy while ignoring your own needs, you are going to burn out quickly. Plus, it is a fruitless effort, because there will always be someone who will be unsatisfied. Others might even start to take advantage of you if they know that you will do whatever they want. While it is good to care for others, don’t try to please everyone, and make sure to focus on what you need, too.

6. Stay Stuck in the Past

Getting stuck in the past can prevent you from moving forward and growing. Everyone has experiences they might like to forget or things from their past that can be hard to get over. While you can learn from the past, you don’t have to dwell on it. Choose to find peace with your own past and accept the things that it taught you. Use those lessons as you look toward your future and make the most of the present.

7. Get Jealous About the Success of Others

You should never resent someone who finds success. This habit can lead to more negative thinking, and you might even start to criticize yourself even more. When you start to stir up feelings of jealousy or resentment, you are taking your focus away from your own success. That uses a lot of energy and can cause you to become mentally weak. Stay committed to reaching your own level of success without resenting how other people might have achieved theirs. We all view success differently, so concentrating on your own goals and dreams without being envious of others will help you to stay focused.

8. Expect Instant Gratification

Typically, the best things in life take time. When you are trying to grow as an individual, it takes time. You can’t expect overnight changes, results and success. Doing so will result in nothing but frustration, and you might be tempted to give up. Will you experience setbacks in your mental growth? Yes. But, you can use them as learning experiences and become even stronger as you move forward. The stronger you become, mentally, the more resilient you will also become to those hardships. So, when they keep coming up in life, you will be able to handle them more effectively each time.

Anyone can become mentally stronger. Like any other muscle, it takes time, effort, and dedication to increase your mental fitness. So, while you should pay attention to your strengths, you also should not ignore your weaknesses. By working on those weaknesses, you can improve your mental strength and get rid of the things that could be confining your success.