If you want to be healthier and in better shape, you need to recognize how mental fitness leads to better fitness – plus do specific tips to become mentally fit. Read on!
Want to become more physically fit? Then you need to focus on flexing your brain muscles more.
You need to embrace something called “mental fitness.”
What is mental fitness?
Mental fitness is about training your mind to think positively and act purposefully.
To be mentally fit means to have your thoughts, emotions, and reactions in such good shape, that life’s curveballs hit your mental mitt with a satisfying thunk – instead of knocking you off your feet.
It’s about not allowing yourself to stay feeling down or stressed for too long.
This means having the mental fortitude to acknowledge your challenging feelings – do a few emotional squats – then lift yourself back up again.
Because of the emotional strength mental fitness brings, it is also the unsung hero behind better health and improved wellness,
Know this now: It’s hard to get a toned body if you have flabby mindset.
The more you can get your mind in shape, the better you can get your body in shape!
I’m writing this article because I’m a bestselling wellness author and leading Behavioral Change Expert.
Plus I am the founder of the therapist-recommended online program, “The Stop Emotional Eating Course.” Inside my program I share a wide range of helpful psychological tools – from NLP, CBT, and DBT.
Plus I decided to write this article about how being mentally fit helps you to become physically fit – because the mind and body in cahoots.
So, get ready to learn a range of empowering tips to make your neurons more nimble and your synapses more supple – so you can become more mentally and physically fit!
5 Tips To Become Mentally Fit – To Help You Be Physically Fit
Think of mental fitness like the warm-up to your workout.
Skipping it is risky. It might result in issues when things don’t go your way.
Mental fitness primes you, getting your head in the game – so your body can follow suit.
So, before you can lift a dumbbell – you need to lift your spirits and your mental game!
Here’s how to get those mental muscles in tip-top shape.
1. Set Your Mental Playlist
Music has playlists. Why can’t your mind?
Tune into the thoughts that get you pumped. Your mission: mindfully curate your mental chatter so it serves you well.
- Affirmations? Sure. Pep talks? Absolutely. Write them down. Create a Mental Playlist – and read it often.
- Mental reruns of every little mistake you’ve ever made? Pass.
Your mind needs a playlist that’s more “You’re a Champion” and less “You’re Never Going to Make It to the Gym Today.”
2. Endurance Drills
Endurance isn’t just for marathon runners and people who watch entire TV series in one sitting. Mental endurance is about keeping going – even when the novelty of your new fitness routine wears off.
How do you do that?
- By focusing on the why behind the workout.
- Are you doing it to feel stronger? To have more energy? To live longer? To be in better moods?
- Add what you wrote onto your Mental Playlist – and read these reminders often!
Whatever it is, keep that mental image sharp.
3. Reps of Resilience
Resilience: it’s the ability to bounce back faster than a boomerang. And just like bicep curls, resilience takes practice.
- Start small. Miss a workout? Don’t spiral. Reschedule. Reread your Mental Playlist.
- Overdid it on the ice cream? Remember, it’s a treat, not a defeat.
The goal is to build up mental resilience – so that when life throws a wrench in your plans, you catch it and use it to tighten up your resolve.
4. Flexibility Training
We’re not talking about touching your toes – although that’s a noble goal. Mental flexibility is about stretching your mind to embrace new ideas. Plus it’s about tossing out ideas that feel like mental Spanx: too constricting and frankly, uncomfortable.
- For example: It’s okay to change your routine, try new exercises, or—gasp—take a rest day. Reread your Mental Playlist.
Being mentally flexible means adapting to what your body and mind need – not sticking rigidly to a routine that makes you dread the sight of your own sneakers.
5. Cool Down and Reflect
The cool down is often overlooked, but it’s essential.
After a workout, you need to reflect on what you’ve accomplished. It’s the mental equivalent of patting yourself on the back and saying, “Hey, look at you! You didn’t trip on the treadmill today!”
- Give yourself mental high-fives. Celebrate the victories, learn from the setbacks. Add your key insights onto your Mental Playlist – so you’re reminded to keep going!
Recap: Mental Fitness Tips Lead To Better Physical Fitness
Now, armed with these tips to become mentally fit, you’re ready to achieve better fitness thanks to your improved mental fitness.
- Remember, your body can do almost anything. It’s your brain you have to convince.
- Sure, there will be days when your mental fitness routine feels like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube with your feet—frustrating and a little bit ridiculous.
- Keep reading your Mental Playlist – and stick with it!
At the end of the day, the strongest people aren’t necessarily the ones who can lift the heaviest weights – but the ones who can lift their own spirits.
If you can do that, well, you’re more than fit – you’re unstoppable!
Now go out there and flex that mental muscle, because a mentally fit mind is the first step to a fit body. Need extra support to build up your mental fitness muscles? >> Explore hiring me for a 1-on-1 Mindset Mastery Session on Zoom. I will empower you to do mental reps that will make those physical reps a piece of… well, let’s just say a walk in the park.
Think happier. Think calmer.
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