9 Emotions You Have To Learn To Be Mentally Strong

Mental strength can be a tricky skill to master, especially when it’s so easy to allow your emotions to get the best of you. However, the greatest feat of emotional strength is learning how to deal with the most intense of emotions.

Of course, it is easier said than done to be able to control your emotions. Trust me, this is something that I battled the greater part of my life with, and to many extents still, battle with today. But once I started to get a handle on my emotions and the control they had over my life, doors began to open for me. Relationships became easier, and overcoming the hardest traumas in my life became possible.

Mental strength and resilience are our ability to overcome difficult aspects of our journey, and I am here to tell you, it starts in your emotional reactions. Here are 9 emotions that get in the way of your mental strength.

1. Sadness

When we become overwhelmed in sadness, it can seem impossible for us to move forward. We may feel bogged down and blocked to do anything. However, sadness shows us our strength, and if we readjust our perspective and use it to our advantage, it can be a great tool.

2. Anger

In intense anger, our impulses can get the best of us. However, anger can be utilized to fuel us towards our goals. When anger takes the stage and you feel driven to react, stop yourself. Ask yourself: “Is my reaction going to push me towards the greater good, or set me back even more?” If your actions are going to set you back, analyze your next move.

3. Jealousy

Jealousy is such a normal emotion, and we all feel it at one point or another. And the more we bask in jealousy, the more it will eat you alive. Shift your perspective- are you jealous that someone has more than you? Ask yourself why. Learn to be grateful for others. You can be happy for others, while also working towards your own best outcome. But if you are eaten alive by your emotions, you will be stifled to achieve your dreams.

4. Shame

Shame is possibly one of the most powerful emotions you will ever feel. Learning to check yourself and your emotions is one of the greatest skills you will ever learn. When you are feeling overwhelming shame, ask yourself, “Why am I ashamed? Can I do something about this?” If your shame is coming from a place that isn’t authentic, it’s time to reframe your mindset.

5. Excitement

While most of us think of excitement as a purely positive emotion, we can become so excited that we overlook the risks of our intentions. There again, emotions all serve a purpose. But intense emotions cloud our judgment. It’s okay to be excited, just don’t become so excited that you are blinded at the moment. Strive for balance.

6. Fear

Perhaps one of the most blinding of emotions is fear. Fear is an emotion that can be quite useful, as it allows us to think about our next move from all angles. However, when fear becomes your predominant emotion, it can block you from moving past your comfort zone. And if you never reach outside of where you are comfortable (change) you will never see what’s on the other side. When you are in fear- ask yourself where the fear is coming from. Is your fear rational- or is it the fear of the unknown.

Without risks, we will never see the reward. Don’t let fear stop you from reaching for your goals.

7. Frustration

When we are frustrated, our first thought is to give up. Frustration happens when we feel we are failing. Failure is an obstacle, and it’s also a learning curve. Failure shows us what isn’t working, so we can try a new approach. When you feel frustrated, don’t give up, instead, approach your plans from a new angle.

8. Pride

Pride will get you every time. You may feel pride rearing its ugly face when you’ve made a mistake- and to protect your pride, you feel like you can’t admit defeat. However, in our most vulnerable moments (the moments in which we admit defeat) we can overcome our biggest block: ourselves. Don’t let your ego stand in the way of what you want to achieve.

9. Disappointment

Disappointment is hard for everyone. Whether we have disappointed ourselves or someone else has disappointed us- it’s easy to get lost in this emotion. When we are disappointed, we may ask ourselves why we even tried at all? And while sometimes things don’t live up to our expectations, disappointment teaches us to check out expectations. If you are expecting too much from yourself and others, you will continuously end up disappointed.