Thinking in a negative way is really unhealthy and can lead to depression. Pitying yourself, envying your friends, and thinking the world is just too unfair may make you feel better in the moment, but not in the long run. This kind of thinking or perspective weakens your mental strength, so it is important to not fill our heads and minds with these destructive thoughts. There are three main beliefs that we should be aware of, so we are not tempted into enjoying the momentarily comfort they provide us with.
The first is having unhealthy thoughts about yourself. Feeling sorry for yourself, and blaming outcomes on others. To escape this uncomfortable situation, we decide to avoid it. This often prevents us from finding the solutions, as we are too focused on the problem and all the troubles it has brought. We get stuck in the same place, and it’s hard for us to move on. You don’t necessarily have to come up with a solution that’ll immediately fix what has happened though. You can take smaller steps at a time, and it’ll still make a difference. Over time the small differences become a big difference, and it’s way better than doing nothing except feeling bad for yourself.
The second is having unhealthy thoughts about others. This comes from comparing ourselves with others around us. The only person we should be comparing to is ourselves. How have I grown, or what do I do differently now compared with what I used to do? We let them influence our lives, when we should be the ones with the ultimate decision. We should not let them shape us, and give up the control over ourselves.
The third is having unhealthy thoughts about the world. Thinking that the world is unfair, or that it owes us. Thinking that when we have accomplished something we will get rewarded, but that is not how it works. We should accept that, but we should not use it as an excuse to not try our best. This should not hold us back, and should not make us feel less about ourselves.
The only way to be mentally strong is to give up all bad habits like envy and strengthen our good habits like appreciation. We counter those unhealthy, negative beliefs with positive ones. Just because you have been through some tough times, it doesn’t mean your whole life will be like that. You are in control and you can change your life, your world. Once you believe that you can do that, you won’t be afraid of what future obstacles you’ll be met with, and nothing can hold you back. That is what a person with strong mental strength looks like.