7 Powerful Ways To Protect Your Mental Health And Stay Motivated During Tough Times

Once More Into the Fray,

Into the Last Good Fight, I Will Ever Know,

Live & Die on this Day, Live & Die on this Day.

Finding motivation and protecting our Mental Health during difficult times isn’t just a luxury or that easy; it’s very important for our overall well-being and success. When we face inevitable challenges or hardships, staying motivated becomes more than a personal trait; it transforms into our survival instinct so that we can protect our Mental Well-being.

The experience of pain is universal. At some point or another, everyone undergoes hardships that test our spirit. In such times, having a positive mindset is very important. How we deal with this discomfort, how well we stay positive and keep pushing during tough times, tests our Mental Strength.

This blog will explore seven powerful stress relief techniques to keep our motivation alive during difficult periods.

1. Accept Your Emotions Instead of Fighting Them:

“The wound is the place where the light enters you.” – Rumi

When we go through difficult situations, we often try to suppress our emotions. By doing this unknowingly, we often affect our emotional health. Bottling up feelings of sadness, frustration, or anxiety only makes things worse. So if we want to overcome emotional burnout, we need to accept our emotions and learn to embrace everything with a positive mindset.

Why it matters:

Accepting our emotions is the first step in improving our mental health resilience. Instead of ignoring how we feel when we start to acknowledge it our mindset becomes positive.

How to do it:

Allow ourselves to feel and embrace everything positively
Write down our emotions in a journal.
Talking to a trusted friend or therapist.
Practising mindfulness by simply observing our emotions without judging them.

2. Maintain a Positive Mindset Amidst Difficulties:

Practising and Fostering a Positive Mindset Amidst Difficulties is not wishful thinking; research and data support its power as a tool during tough times.

Our mind is powerful. Negative thinking can trap us in a cycle of self-doubt and hopelessness. Instead of focusing on what’s going wrong, we start to train our minds to see challenges as opportunities to grow.

Why it matters: A growth mindset shifts our focus from “Why is this happening to me?” to “What can I learn from this?”

There is a saying that “Tough Times Don’t Last Tough People Do.”

This does not mean ignoring problems but seeing growth and opportunity in everything. Maintaining a positive mindset is kind of a self care routine for us.

You can read more on this from my other Blog Post: https://maverickmindspace.com/achieve-mental-and-physical-harmony/

3. Embrace Small Wins to Motivate Yourself:

“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” – Vincent Van Gogh

In the face of adversity & difficulties, it is essential to focus on accomplishing smaller tasks that contribute towards our larger goal. Achieving small tasks gives us a sense of peace and accomplishment. It teaches us to have a positive attitude towards life. How can we approach this?

The key lies in breaking down each large objective into bite-sized pieces – manageable tasks that are achievable even when times are tough.

Achieving each small task gives a sense of accomplishment and provides immediate feedback about our progress. This strategy keeps motivation high and encourages us to work hard consistently despite difficulties.

4. Prioritizing Self-Care During Difficult Times:

“You can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first.” – Anonymous

Prioritizing self-care during difficult times is essential for maintaining your mental, emotional, and physical well-being. When life becomes overwhelming, neglecting our own needs might feel justified, but it often leads to mental burnout and exhaustion. By focusing on self-care, we replenish our energy, clarity, and resilience, which allows us to face challenges with a stronger and healthier mindset.

Self-care can take many forms:

Physical Health: Eating nutritious meals, exercising, and getting adequate sleep.
Mental Well-being: Taking breaks, practising mindfulness, or engaging in hobbies.
Emotional Care: Surrounding yourself with supportive people or journaling your feelings.

5. Remind Yourself of Your "Why" :

“When you feel like quitting, remember why you started.” – Anonymous

In moments of self-doubt or when we hit rock bottom, reconnecting with our “Why”— For Why or for which reason you started pursuing that dream —can reignite our drive. Our “why” is the anchor that keeps us steady amidst challenges and setbacks.

For example:

If we’re working hard to build a career, our “Why” might be

Providing a better future for our family.
If we’re on a fitness journey, it could be to improve our health and well-being.

Reflecting on our “Why” can shift our mindset from focusing on obstacles to embracing the bigger picture.

To stay motivated, write down our “Why” with detailed steps and keep it visible as a constant reminder. This simple practice helps us to stay aligned with our values and committed to our path, even during tough times.

6. Physical Activity & Hobbies to Boost our Mental Health:

“The only Lasting Motivation is Self- Motivation.”

Physical activity has direct benefits for our mental health. Exercise releases happy hormones like endorphins, which reduce stress and improve mood.

Why it matters: Regular movement can help combat anxiety, depression, and lack of motivation.

When we find ourselves trapped in an endless cycle of work, chores, and responsibilities, physical activity can give us that mental strength to not quit on ourselves

Physical Activities are like keys that unlock the door to a happier, more fulfilling life and if we can build hobbies that involve more outdoor activities like working out or taking any sports else hobbies like singing, dancing, painting or maybe learning a new musical instrument.

Research says if we practice something for 100 Hrs in a year that is roughly 18 minutes a day then we can master and unlock new skills and that will be the best way to motivate yourself.

It is always those small positive changes and small steps that matter in life.

7. Deep Breathing for Keeping Yourself Positively Motivated:

Deep Breathing can help relax our mind and body, activating our body’s relaxation response to get more focus in life, and we can keep ourselves motivated. It is the best way of Mental Recovery.

The correct way to breathe when experiencing stress or anxiety is to inhale deeply through the nose for 4 seconds, hold the breath for 4 seconds, and then exhale slowly for another 4 seconds.

This technique is called Box Breathing and is used by the USA Special Forces Navy Seals to keep their brains calm under pressure and in hostile situations.

“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

Staying motivated during tough times is challenging, but by protecting our mental health, we can build resilience and keep moving forward. Tough moments don’t last, but strong minds do.

We’re not alone. Prioritizing our well-being, seeking support, and taking small steps every day toward healing and motivation should be our top priority to increase our Mental Strength.

Which of these steps do you find most helpful? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Thank you for reading through my article.