HOW TO MAKE YOUR MIND STRONG?

HOW TO MAKE YOUR MIND STRONG!

The mind is probably the strongest organ of the body. When the mind believes, anything is achievable, nothing is impossible! It is said, success or failure is more often decided in the mind, than the actual event itself. Thus, in the toughest sports tournaments, the players with stronger mind usually prevail.

Traits of a Strong Mind

A strong mind always looks at the positive aspect of things, because with regard to everything in life, there are both, positive and negative aspects.

·      Winners always focus on the positive aspect. Halfway in a marathon race, a person with a weak mind thinks, “half the distance is still yet to go and I may not be able to complete it well”. On the other hand, a person with a strong mind thinks, “I have finished half the race well, I can easily finish the second half equally well”. Needless to say, the runner with the stronger mind succeeds.

·      A person with a strong mind has a lot of self-belief. “When you do not believe in yourself, how can others believe in you?” So, you need to strongly inculcate the sense of self-belief in yourself at all times. This is considered as s stepping stone towards success.

·      Another feature of a person with strong mind is that he/she is always hopeful. They always hope for and expect a good outcome. Even when the whole world thinks otherwise, a person with strong mind always hopes for success. You would certainly agree to this one- how many times you have seen players winning a match from almost a losing position?! So, it is obvious that unwavering hope and self-belief are important for winning, even from “losing situations”.

·      A person with a strong mind looks at only the good qualities in another person and oversees the bad traits. Every individual has both good and bad qualities. It is always easy to focus on negative qualities of a person and criticize him. It takes a person with strong mind to focus on good qualities of others and appreciate them. This virtue makes them appear more congenial among masses. After all, no one likes a person who is always critical about him or her.

·      The most important quality in a person with strong mind is their ability to control emotions. Emotions and sensitivity are important for good social interactions; however, exaggerated emotional responses may interfere with daily life. A person with a weak mind may suffer from sadness and depression after a failure. On the other hand, a person with strong mind treats failure as a medium to work on flaws and successfully outgrows them. If one remains pre-occupied with negative emotions after a failure, there is no time and energy left to sharpen the skills to excel later. However, the person with a strong mind puts the failure behind and works harder in order to succeed at the next available opportunity.

·      Anger is a negative emotion, which a person with strong mind lacks. Strong-minded people are able to smile at all instances and events and strongly believe in letting bygones be bygones, because they know that anger does not solve a problem; on the contrary, it may aggravate it. Everyone likes a smile and appreciation- who likes getting reprimanded?! There is no wonder, then that people who often smile have a large number of admirers as compared to those who get angry with small issues.

The Making of a Strong Mind

From the above discussion, it is quite evident that a strong mind is vital for a fulfilling and successful life. So, is the “strong mind” inherited from one’s ancestors or can one do something to make the minds stronger? Well, here’s how you can build a strong mind. Just follow these methods:

1.     Regular exercises not only help you making physically fit, but also impacts your memory and thinking skills. There is a release of good chemicals such as endorphins and dopamine post-exercise, which elevate our mood and keeps depression away. So, stay active!

2.     Good nutrition is important to keep the brain strong. Timely balanced meals are the key. So, dig into foods that are good for the brain. These foods include fish, eggs, broccoli, asparagus, spinach, blueberries, dry fruits like almonds and walnuts, etc.

3.     Ensure adequate sleep of seven to eight hours at night, as it relaxes the body and mind. The mind gets re-energized after a restful sleep and is ready to take on the everyday challenges of life.

4.     The brain gets bored and inactive with a monotonous schedule and activities, and the risk of cognitive impairment increases with this schedule. On the other hand, challenging the brain with newer activities, such as learning a new language or playing a musical instrument, would make the brain sharper and stronger. This also boosts the self-confidence in a person.

5.     Avoiding smoking and alcohol as both these vices  have a negative influence on brain and mind functions, making them weaker and prone to mental illnesses.

6.     Socialize whenever you can! Isolation and loneliness are detrimental to brain and mind and make them weaker. On the other hand, greater social interactions, especially spending quality time with family and friends are healthy for brain and makes it stronger.

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(This article was first published in the September 2017 issue of B POSITIVE, a health and wellness magazine)

Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology)

Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad

04023607777/60601066

drsudhirkumar@yahoo.com