Psychologists recommend all sorts of things you need to do or have in order to nurture a healthy and strong mind, such as tenacity, ambition or optimism, but there are also some things you should avoid for the same purpose.
People who have a strong mind, have healthy habits in terms of behaviour and management of emotions, feelings and thoughts. Amy Morin, a psychotherapist and social worker, has compiled a list of 13 things to avoid if you want to be mentally strong.
Don’t waste time pitying yourself
People with a strong mind do not waste time complaining about the difficult situations they go through. They take responsibility for the mistakes they have made and accept the fact that, most of the time, life is unfair and failures are not always the result of their own actions. Moreover, they learn from mistakes how to improve their behaviour in the future.
Don’t let anyone make you feel inferior or bad
People who have a strong mind do not allow those around them to make them feel inferior, because they know that they are the only ones who can control their actions and emotions, including reactions to the behaviour of others.
Don’t be afraid of change
People who have a strong mind are not afraid of change, but consider it a challenge. The thing they do fear is being capped or indulging in a certain mediocre situation.
Don’t waste your energy on things you can’t control
People who have a strong mind do not complain too much about traffic, for example, or lost luggage at the airport or about other people, because they understand that these are things they cannot control. The only thing they can is control their reaction and attitude in the face of a situation they cannot change or control.
Don’t worry about trying to please everyone
People with a strong mind strive to be kind, gentle, and agreeable to those around them when possible and appropriate, but they are not afraid to speak or tactfully say anything for fear of bothering or upsetting others.
Don’t be afraid to take calculated risks
People with a strong mind are not afraid to take calculated risks, but they do not rush into uncalculated situations. They weigh both the risks and the benefits, assessing both possible successes and failures before taking action.
Don’t dwell on the past
People with a strong mind do not persist in evoking frustrations, disappointments, failures, or good times from the past. They take them on, recognise them and learn from them, but invest their energy in creating a present and a future that is as good as possible.
Don’t repeat the same actions, expecting a different result
People with a strong mind do not repeat the same mistakes expecting a different result. They take responsibility for the mistakes of their past and learn from them, reflecting on them in a healthy, correct and productive way.
Don’t envy the success of others
People with a strong mind do not envy the success of others, but rejoice over them. However, they can recognise what those people did to achieve success and apply the things they learned in their own lives.
Don’t give up even if you have failed
People with a strong mind do not give up even after a failure. For them, failure is an opportunity to move forward, to make improvements. These people are aware that they will fall many times, but they are also aware that they will bounce back if they are willing to learn from mistakes and failures.
Don’t be afraid of loneliness
People who have a strong mind are not afraid of moments of loneliness. They use them to think, to make plans and to be productive. The most important thing is that they do not depend on others to feel good and to be happy; they can be happy in the presence of others, but also alone.
Don’t think that the world owes you anything
People who have a strong mind do not live with the idea that the world owes them everything, but are willing to work and achieve their goals based on their own merits.
Don’t expect immediate results
People with a strong mind do not expect immediate results. They know that it often takes time and perseverance to reach the desired result and they use their abilities and energy to do everything they can to reach their goal.