How to Increase Mental Strength

Part 1 of 3: Strengthening Your Mind

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   Read everything. Recent studies show that people who enjoy reading novels are more easily able to empathize with others, a sign of a strong and well-rounded mind.^[1] If you want to work on increasing your mental strength, read a variety of things that you enjoy.

   • You don't have to jump straight tiny reading Ulysses if you want to improve your mental strength, and in fact trying to read something too difficult might turn you off reading entirely. Instead, focus on reading things you enjoy. Westerns, romance novels, and long-form magazines are all good ways to read.
   • Try replacing an hour of television each evening with reading, instead. Invest time in a good book that you might normally spend idling, chatting with friends, or watching the tube.
   • Get a library card and take advantage of the library in your town. Free entertainment. Try to check out one new book and read it every two weeks.
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   Try to learn something new every week. Ever get the feeling that each day looks a lot the same? As we get older, our mental pathways are more and more defined. Where each summer day seemed to last forever when we were kids, the weeks peel off more quickly as you age. Mental strength requires that you continue building new neural pathways by learning new things.^[2]

   • The more regularly you pick up a new skill, or study a new subject, the stronger your mind becomes. Try to pick up one new thing every week, then continue working on it as you learn new things. Build up your mental strength gradually.
   • wikiHow is a great resource for learning new things. Learn how to play chess,change your oil, or play guitar.
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   Socialize more. "Book smarts" are important, but it's also important to understand how things play out in the real world. Social intelligence and wit are important parts of all-around mental health and well-being. If you can't carry on a conversation, work on your social skills along with your mental health building skills.

   • Have complicated conversations instead of gossiping. Talk about things that are important to you, or things that you've been learning. Try starting or joining abook club in your area.
   • Try to meet lots of different kinds of people. If you're in school, don't stick to just one social group, but move around. If you're an adult, try and meet people from different socio-economic situations as your own. Hang out with your plumber, and hang out with your doctor.
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   Challenge yourself. Try and attempt things that you're not sure you'll be able to pull off. Decide that you're not only going to learn guitar, but that you're going to learn to shred a fast solo note-for-note. Decide that you're not only going to play chess, but that you're going to study openings and learn to play like a grandmaster. Keep working on a task until you're at the difficult setting.

   • Video games are a mixed bag when it comes to mental strength. Some research shows that video games aid in problem solving, fine motor skills, logistics, and many other and analysis.^[3] Other research points to the negative effects of violence and social isolation associated with video games, decreasing moral sensitivity and attention span.^[4]
   • Nourish yourself with complex entertainment, and avoid click-bait. If you've ever seen a long newspaper and thought, "Jeez, TLDR" then it's probably time to unplug a little. Reading Buzzfeed or watching YouTube videos of epic fails is like eating three Skittles at lunch. Reading a book or watching a documentary is like eating a meal.
5. 
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   Exercise your mind regularly. Just like you can'tBUILD MUSCLE by eating cake for three weeks straight before you start lifting at the gym, you can't gain mental strength by goofing off and then focusing only every now and then. Being consistent with brain exercise is more important than the intensity of the workout.

   • Even just doing a cross-word puzzle or a sudoku every day may decrease your chances of losing mental awareness as you become older, increasing your verbal fluency.^[5]