Valentine’s Day is behind us and the International Women’s Day is almost here, so this is the perfect time to tackle the subject of women’s mental health. Achieving mental strength and inner peace (those two rarely go one without the other) is not an easy task. Actually, it’s one of the hardest things every woman can do, but it’s also the key to mental health and happy living. If this is something you struggle with, remember that there are ways you can work on these two abilities. Here are a few habits and activities (both physical and mental) Zen women swear by that will help you achieve mental strength and inner peace.
Try meditation
Meditation is a word that many people struggle with. However, you don’t have to spend hours in the lotus position to reap the benefits. In the beginning, it can be hard to block distractions and keep your mind clear, but if you practice daily, it will become much easier. Once you get the hang of it, you notice the sense of ease spread through your body and mind. It’s a great practice that will allow you to restore peace to your life whenever you feel stressed and overwhelmed. It will be a great tool to help you achieve inner peace and boost your mental strength and you can carry it with you wherever you go.
The thing about meditation is: You become more and more you. – David Lynch.
Exercise your self-discipline
As a woman, you probably encounter situations that require self-discipline and strong power of will on daily bases. Every day you’re bombarded with choices, so you need to have a strong mind that will resist bad ones and opt for good ones. However, self-discipline is like a muscle—you need to exercise it in order to keep it strong and fit. There is a variety of different ways to strengthen your willpower, but once your will is strong, you’ll find that you can make great decisions, keep a clear head in stressful situations and choose the paths that will allow you to grow as a person.
Take up working out
Any type of physical activity is great for mental strength, inner peace, and confidence. Activities like running and martial arts are perfect for women all ages because they can be practiced anywhere and anytime and are amazing for stress relief, meditation, and physical fitness.
Martial arts are a great way to build your mental and physical strength, become more confident and feel more secure. One of the best things about martial arts is the fact that they require plenty of focus. They help you stick to the present moment, encourage you to listen to your body and push you to find both your inner and outer balance. Plus, if you check out some of the martial arts books, besides technique and maneuver guides, you can often find various mental conditioning exercises and mental training tips. When first taking up any activity, try to set a few goals, but make them simple, short-term and realistic. Once you achieve them, they will do wonders for your mental strength, motivation, and confidence.
However, don’t compare yourself to other people. Competition is great, but try to compete with yourself, not with others.
Get Zen with yoga
Yoga is an amazing physical activity that keeps your body engaged and practices your balance, flexibility, and focus. However, yoga is also a highly psychological activity that can help people figure out the nature of the mind and what it means to be human.
Through mindful body movement, women can learn how to deal with emotions and how to tackle inner struggles. It allows you to get to know yourself and build a stronger and more accepting relationship with yourself. It has so many benefits, both mental and physical that it’s not a surprise that many experts prescribe it as a form of therapy for all sorts of ailments and health issues.
Stand up straight
This tip might seem a bit silly, but it works like a charm. If you wish to boost your mental strength and confidence, take a power stance for two minutes and you’ll instantly feel so much stronger. Stand up, lift your head high, place your arms on your hips (or above your head like you’re cheering) and your confidence will boom. Use this trick in the morning, before an important meeting or any time you need an extra push in your daily life.
If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life. – Marcus Garvey
Practice self-affirmation
Another weird tip is self-affirmation. It’s a great hack to boost your confidence, relieve stress and calm your nerves. Stand in front of a mirror, look yourself in the eye and tell yourself encouraging words. Many find a mantra they tend to repeat, some opt for general positive things about life while others choose some meaningful sentence from a book or a song (personally, I choose to repeat Litany Against Fear from my favorite book Dune). Practice this daily and you’ll notice how stronger, balanced, focused and stable you’ll feel.
Embrace your emotions
Many women think that showing emotions is a sign of weakness. However, if you embrace and acknowledge your feelings, you’ll be more equipped to deal with them as they come. Emotions are what makes us human and they should be embraced and cherished, not feared.
Don’t be afraid of discomfort
Dealing with discomfort is inevitable from time to time. No matter what you want to achieve—progress in your job, develop new skills, get fitter or work on your mental health and inner peace, going through discomfort, facing failure and getting up again is the only way to reach that goal. We need to endure plenty of it on our path to success. But, still, many women shun discomfort and choose a path that requires less effort. But, leaving your comfort zone will build your strength, mental stability, and confidence, even though it requires time, discipline and conscious effort.
Stop engaging with toxic people
Until you let go of all the toxic people in your life you will never be able to grow into your fullest potential. Let them go so you can grow. – DLQ
No matter how immovable you think you are, the people that surround you greatly affect your emotions, thoughts and behaviors. Engaging with people who are bullies, cheats and liars will take a toll on your confidence and inner peace. Mentally strong women don’t have time or patience for toxic people but invest conscious effort to stay away from them physically and emotionally.
Give up on trying to impress people
Live your life for yourself, not for others. Trying to impress others will waste you a lot of time, effort and nerve and even give others power over you. If you want to boost your mental strength and achieve inner peace, learn to be comfortable in your own skin and don’t pay attention to what others think, say and do. Focus on yourself and you’ll feel wonderful!
As you can see, reaching mental strength and inner peace is not an easy task. However, we all can practice these ways to improve our balance and strength and results will surely show. You will be on top of your game at all times, ready to take any challenge head-on.