How to build mental resilience

The month of May being mental health awareness month, it is only natural that this month’s blog focuses on this topic.

According to the World Health Organisation, mental health is “a state of well-being on which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”.

There is no doubt that nothing has been normal lately and the pandemic has created a severe impact on our mental wellbeing. Tony Robbins talks about “how life is going to come at you, and you need to be emotionally fit to handle it”.

In our wellness and resilience coaching programmes we help our clients build their mental resilience and wellbeing. 

Here are some steps that may help you keep mentally fit.

Internal vs External world

Learn how to control your internal environment when you cannot control external factors affecting your life. You can do that by monitoring your self-talk. When we have thoughts about what might go wrong in the future, it is easy to jump into conclusions, foreseeing the worst and predicting all kinds of catastrophes that have not happened and may never will. It is important to monitor your negative self talk and stop speculating and predicting things as a way to control the unknown. Focus on the here and now and what you can do to snap out of this state.

Plan ahead

Planning eliminates a big chunk of decision-making in your day to day and therefore helps you reserve mental energy to deal with things that really matter. An interesting story is about Albert Einstein who had multiple sets of the same clothes so he would not have to use any mental resources deciding about what to wear. Perhaps he was on to something! It is all about not letting yourself get emotionally and mentally drained even by mundane things to deal with tasks that really matter.

Practice mindfulness

Through mindfulness we can tune in the mind and body connection and interrupt the cycle of anxiety as soon as we notice we are caught in it.  At Advise Tree we explore the value of getting present and learn how to respond to anxiety in a healthier way. We help our clients find ways to soften their reactivity to their fears and worries by using techniques such as pausing and noting. This is useful in times of stress because you focus on the here and now instead of being fixated on the past and future concerns. It gives you a chance to step back before getting swept away in a tailspin of fear, anxiety, and worry.

Be kind to yourself

Sleep – It is easy to underestimate how a good night sleep is beneficial for our mental health. Nothing seems to recharge our mental and emotional batteries better than a good night sleep. Try to get yours each night.

Breaks – Taking regular breaks can help boost your mental and physical health. You might say that you are too busy but even just a 10-minute break every couple of hours or so can help reduce your stress levels and therefore improve your mental wellbeing.

Nutrition – Keeping a healthy diet is another element that is a major contributing factor to how we feel.  Mental exhaustion and stress can play havoc on our physical health and more specifically on our gut flora. So, beware of gut issues which is also indication of our mental state. Furthermore since 70% of our immune system is housed in our gut it is important to make sure we are eating healthily to keep our body and mind in the best possible condition.

Exercise – It helps to clear the mind and gets your mental and physical energy levels up. You do not need to be a marathon runner or a gym bunny.  Studies show that even a 10-minute walk immediately boosts brain chemistry to increase happiness. So, walk yourself out of your bad mood, worry and stress.

At Advise Tree, we provide wellness and resilience coaching sessions to equip individuals with the tools they need to better cope during these challenging times. Find the details of the programme here and do not hesitate to contact us to book your chemistry call and discuss further: Wellness and Resilience Coaching | Advise Tree