Whether you’re an athlete or not, you need inner strength to be successful in life. Life throws so much at you every day. Some days feel like your best ones, and you don’t want them to end, whereas others feel like the worst and don’t seem to end.
If you have good inner strengths, passing through hard times is easy. If you haven’t built your inner strength, though, then challenging situations can take a toll on your mental health.
Developing inner strength is important, but how does one do it? Let’s discuss a few methods that will help you.
Before diving into how to develop inner strengths, let me tell you why they are so important. Think of a few positive people in your circle of friends, and notice how happy and self-satisfied they are. They also encounter tough and challenging situations, but they don’t back down and face them head-on. This is because they are aware of their potential and treat the hardships as lessons and learning opportunities. As an Olympic-level athlete from Ghana, I have encountered similar situations where I just felt like giving up but didn’t because I had worked on my inner strengths. Here’s what you should do:
1. Discover yourself
Being aware of your strengths and weaknesses is an inner strength in itself because when you know your weaknesses, you can work on them and try to turn them into strengths. This will also help you in decision-making and goal-setting. We all have aspirations, and knowing our strengths and weaknesses allows us to set realistic limits.
2. Know your body
In the process of getting to know your limits, you must also understand your body. By body, I don’t just mean physical fitness and well-being but also your psychological well-being. I am sure you have encountered emotionally draining situations that led to certain physical reactions, such as shivering, sweating, or spasms.
This happens because our body and mind are both closely linked, so if the mind is under pressure, it sends a signal to the body, and the body reacts accordingly. Knowing how your body reacts under pressure will allow you to be prepared in advance.
For instance, maybe your palms start sweating under pressure. Being aware of this will allow you to predict how your body would respond in a certain situation and behave accordingly (e.g., you can avoid shaking hands in those situations).
3. Build an appreciative circle
Another way to develop inner strength is to spend more time around people who can help you grow. You may think you don’t need emotional support, but you do. You need it to stay focused on your goal. If you hang out with people who are unappreciative of you or what you do, you’ll likely stop liking yourself after some time, completely damaging your self-esteem. You’ll also start believing what they believe.
On the other hand, hanging out with like-minded people who encourage you will provide you with the emotional support you need, boost your energy, and motivate you to help you achieve your goals.
These are some methods that helped me develop my inner strengths and become Ghana’s first skeleton Olympian. Try them out and see if they work for you!
My name is Akwasi Frimpong. You can follow me on social media:
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