The What is Fitness Series?- #MentalFitness!
- Heather Nitschke
- Oct 15, 2023
- 2 min read
No one is embarrassed to say that they are going to the gym or seeing a health care or fitness professional, however we have historically not been permitted the same grace with our mental fitness or health. Mental fitness is defined as a state of well-being and having a positive sense of how we think, feel, and act. It is having mental fortitude, flexibility and the endurance to engage with life and its surroundings.(1)
No matter what obstacle is put in front of us, it really does not matter one’s physical strength, endurance, or prowess, if our own mental capacity cannot proceed us through the challenge. Building mental strength does become easier as one builds on habits that are physically challenging. When something is physically hard, it would be easy to simply quiet and remove the physical stress however in some cases, that could be a deadly decisions. The ability to mentally endure a difficult situation as one may be required to do in the military, firefighting situations, or emergency room trauma situations can in fact be life or death for someone involved. The ability to build mental strength is not just for the us but for those around us. For example, a firefighter attempts to go into a burning building to save a young child. If that firefighter backs out due to fear, inability to do the job asked of them could result in the child’s death. It is the physical ability to pursue a job or task but it is the mental strength that sustains one’s ability to complete the job or task.
However, Mental strength does require work. A little for some, a lot for others. We must spend time cultivating our mental strength. A great way to do this is working! Lifting weights, may feel physically difficult however it is in doing so that trains the mind to sustain the physical demands. When we generate positive self-talk around this form of we built our mental strength and thus our confidence! Another way to build mental strength it to confront and deal with our traumas. Whether mental or emotional, dealing with them requires strength. When dealing with our own trauma and emotional injuries, we can begin to build our resolve knowing we are ok. Much like a physical load, the emotion load will subside. The challenge of facing our emotional or mental traumas is something we can overcome and continue to pursue through and into our lives, and in doing so will forge our mental strength.
Surrounding my own mental strength, I am currently working on meditating 10 minutes a day, I am seeing a mental health counselor as I work though emotional and mental trauma as well as grief processing. I am attending to my sleep hygiene allowing my brain to heal and reset for the next challenge. I am also actively reading and consuming productive and positive thoughts which helps me develop a mindset for success!
When the mind says yes, the body will obey!
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