According to the news, social media, and the American Psychological Association (APA), more people are struggling with anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions than ever before. In response, numerous articles and research studies have been published suggesting the best ways to improve mental health. While there isn’t just one thing that we need to do to protect our mental health, or improve it, 18 years of clinical experience has taught me that some strategies work better than others, and some of them are more important. I believe in the power of resilience, which is the ability to bounce back from hardship with strength and tenacity. One essential and specific factor that is part of resilience is called grit.
Defined as the ability to endure hardship, possessing more grit increases our tolerance for difficult circumstances without stealing our hope that things will get better. Some people naturally possess more grit, and they seem to be able to endure a lot of hardship without it breaking their spirit. But grit is something that you can work to increase, and doing so helps build resistance to depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges.
In her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, Angela Duckworth discusses how to be gritty. She argues that the ability to endure hardship is part of what constitutes grit, but you also have to have a goal: something that you’re passionate about. While Duckworth focuses on how grit can help you achieve success, as a therapist, I’m interested in how grit can be used to improve mental health.
If you’re currently experiencing hardship, practicing the following strategies can help you increase your grit to get you through this difficult time while retaining hope and ultimately improving your overall mental health.
Accept that having grit takes effort
Sometimes you have to be persistent and keep going even if you don’t feel like it. Life isn’t fair, and it often involves more tough times than easy times. In the end, this makes the rewards and the triumphs even sweeter. But we have to get through the process first. This means we have to put on a symbolic suit of armor and remind ourselves on the hardest days that we can do hard things.
Let go of grudges, mistakes, and disappointments
People with grit must be forward thinkers. Take notes and learn from your mistakes, but let go of the negative thoughts and feelings. Dwelling on past mistakes or broken relationships does not serve a productive purpose in improving your life or your mental health.
Always have a goal in mind
You don’t have to come up with a life-defining goal right now. Perhaps you just want to make it through the days without feeling terrible, or you’d like to have several consecutive days without a panic attack. Those examples are a fair place to start. You can also identify something small you’d like to accomplish. It doesn’t have to be running a marathon or starting your own company. Maybe it’s going to work more days than not or finishing a project that you started. Keeping goals in mind gives our brain a place to focus other than our troubles.
Find a passion that can be your purpose
While nothing may immediately come to mind, think about what you want to get out of life. Find a purpose, whether it’s related to your career, an opportunity to serve others as a volunteer, or a hobby. Find something that you love and pour your energy into it. Having a passion and a purpose gives you a reason to wake up every morning and feel enthusiastic about the day ahead. It also helps you focus on the harder days.
Enduring hardship is definitely an important part of grit, but no one can continuously withstand difficult circumstances without something to feel hopeful about. The strategies listed above can help you find hope through purpose and positivity, and then you’ll feel strong enough to be ready for life’s next challenge.
Photo by Fabrizio Conti on Unsplash
This blog was originally posted on Psychology Today 12/20/23. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/from-trial-to-triumph/202312/are-you-constantly-struggling-try-grit