6 Things Mentally Strong People Do When Everyone is Panicking
Everybody experiences some type of crisis and today, a lot of us struggle. Many people have lost their jobs, others have lost loved ones, still others – both. Times like these truly put mental strength to the test. A crisis presents trauma, an obstacle, a risk, and the opportunity to either fail or grow.
In the throes of panic, there are 6 things mentally strong people do. In the rush to return to normal, let’s use this time to consider which parts of normal are worth rushing back to.
They Embrace Change
We know there are always good and bad things about change, but mentally strong people choose to focus on the good ones. They are open to growth and development and constantly striving for progress. They trust their abilities to overcome any challenge and their motivation to take it on is higher. They have a comfort zone like everyone else, but their willingness to leave it sets them apart.
How is this relevant to us? A job loss is an opportunity to find a new and better job. Surviving is easier than it seems, even today. Mentally strong people have an equally strong support network to help them pull through.
Coming up: How do mentally strong people overcome painful emotions?
They are Good at Practicing Positivity
It’s not that mentally strong people do not have negative experiences; they’re just better at spreading positivity and kindness. They fight for justice and take every opportunity to be kind, which includes speaking up against unfairness and helping others. Every day, we are faced with the choice between ignoring a situation and being kind. You feel stronger when you help someone; it’s that simple. When you focus on the good, you bring about positivity and that results in better things happening to you and your loved ones.
Mentally strong people embrace risk: read on to find out why
They Balance Logic and Emotion
Those of us who are working on becoming more resilient at this time of crisis struggle with how our emotions interfere with our judgement. Emotions have a big and rather unfortunate impact on rational decision-making. Mentally strong people have learned to balance logic and emotion to make the right decisions in any circumstance or situation. They know that while they can’t change a situation, they can control their response to it. They turn a great deal of attention to the ways emotions impact logical thinking and judgement.
It follows from this that mentally strong people waste neither time nor effort on things they can’t control. They are well aware of their energy’s value; that it’s their most precious resource. They don’t spend time wallowing in negativity. They do the exact opposite of playing the victim and letting feelings take control of them. They do not allow struggles and challenges to manipulate their behaviour.
Up next: The effects of bad habits on resilience
They are Willing to Take Measured Risks
Mentally strong people are not afraid of change or of the risks associated with it. To them, risk-taking is a way to achieve personal growth. They are very good at seeking new opportunities, but also at evaluating risks, which means they won’t jump on every opportunity that arises. They are apt at
taking promising, calculated risks because of their pronounced ability to analyze the upsides and downsides of a situation.
Admittedly, they didn’t develop this ability overnight. What they did is embrace risk and learn how to assess risk accurately with time. When you take risks on a regular basis, your decision-making ability improves. Some situations are so complicated that taking a risk is the only way out. In times of crisis, the vast majority of us is in situations like these.
What is the most important thing about mentally strong people? Keep reading to find out!
They Work to Eliminate bad Habits
We grow stronger by eliminating bad habits, both physically and mentally. If you want to become mentally stronger, you need to give up bad habits, like people-pleasing and wasting time on things you have no control over. In the event you don’t work on eradicating bad habits, they will balance out with your good ones, and you won’t make any progress no matter how badly you want to. Bad habits extend to unproductive ways to cope with anxiety, stress, and uncertainty. While it is normal to feel stressed, sad, scared, or confused in the midst of a pandemic, it’s your next action that counts.
Mentally strong people are well-aware of this and have developed healthy coping skills such as walking, meditating, exercising, or writing in a journal. They make the conscious choice to deal with their discomfort in a productive manner. They know the value of basics like maintaining a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and being active physically. A person is only as good as their worst habit when it comes to mental strength.
They Focus on What They can Change
The most important trait of mentally strong people is their absolute dedication to things they can control and the abundance of resources they’re willing to invest. There are many things we can’t control, like the government’s (effective or ineffective) safety measures or the fact that a loved one has gotten sick. For many of us, that simple fact is a cause of intense discomfort. Mentally strong people know what merits their energy and intervention and act accordingly. They know that their desire, opinion, and motivation is up to them.
We feel more in control when we become more self-aware. Paying more attention is a step in the right direction. If you feel stressed or anxious, ask yourself where you are. If your negative thoughts have become too intense for your own good, ask yourself if you need a timeout. See what happens after you’ve channeled your thoughts into something else. If you feel better, start making a habit out of it.
Final Thoughts
Improving mental strength is key to coping better with chaos and stress. Resilient people maintain a stable network of friends and family because “no man is an island entire of itself”. This helps them keep a positive mental perspective.
Difficult times await us. Never in modern history have people been surrounded by such extreme uncertainty. Yet, learning to accept ambiguity and control your emotions can help you not only overcome crisis and hardship, but emerge a better and stronger person.
