Humans are emotional creatures. We don’t always use logic when making decisions. Setbacks can break us down and if there’s a threat of failure looming over us, we can become impulsive—doing desperate things to rectify the situation, even if our fixes are detrimental to our welfare.
When we get emotional, we lose the ability to think clearly. This can lead to decisions and consequences that we regret. The good news is we can do something about it. We can build mental resilience and make our emotions easier to manage.
Read this guide to learn how you can train your mind to be stronger than your emotions and master mental clarity. But first, let’s explore the age-old question, “What does it mean to train your mind to be stronger than your emotions?”
Exploring the Connection Between Our Mind and Emotions
As retired Navy SEAL David Goggins put it, “Your mind has a tactical advantage over you at all times.”
However, emotion has a substantial influence on cognitive processes. Emotions can make you jump into a relationship with the wrong person, lead to bad financial decisions, say words you don’t really mean, and more. If you let your emotions dictate your actions, your brain can’t do its job. So, if you want to be mentally strong, you need to get a hold of your emotions. This doesn’t mean stifling them. You just have to learn how to manage them better.
Does this mean you’ll never fail? No.
But when you depend on your mind and all its abilities and rationale, you can count on it to keep you from being overly rash and impulsive.
How To Control Feelings and Let Your Brain Reign
Can your mind be stronger than your feelings? Absolutely. You can train your mind to prioritize reason over emotion, choosing to be mindful and focus on what’s happening instead of letting your emotions influence you.
Here are some tried-and-tested tactics that will help you achieve just that.
1. Turn Off Technology
Social media is free because you’re the product but they do more than sell your personal information to the highest bidder. They’re also playing on your emotions, putting things you desire before your eyes. Before you know it, you’re making an impulsive buying decision, even though your bank account can’t afford it.
It’s the same with experiences.
You see someone leading a better life and you’re filled with envy. This has been linked to increased depression, anxiety, and other negative emotions.
So, if you’re trying to barricade your mind against emotions, start with a digital detox. It doesn’t have to be full-blown—a few minutes away from your devices will suffice. The point is that it will buy you time to think and make more rational decisions.
2. Discover Your Identity
Who are you? The answer is worth exploring because it can be the basis of more logical choices. Decide on who you want to be and the qualities that you want to be known for.
Having a strong sense of identity will help you live a life rooted in purpose. You’ll be able to regulate your thoughts and feelings while making decisions that are aligned with the person you want to become. This helps you be more optimistic no matter the situation.
3. Learn To Manage Stress
“I’m not myself when I’m stressed.” We’ve heard this way too often—and the problem is that it’s probably true.
Stress can supercharge our emotions and cause intense, often negative responses. You feel irritable, snappish, unattentive, tired, and anxious—all of which can keep you from seeing reason. So, if you’re looking to learn how to train your mind to be stronger than your emotions, now is a good time to learn stress management.
4. Seek Help When Needed
Hitting rock bottom can be jarring, but it only shows that you’re human.
Instead of retreating into a shell because you want to maintain your self-image as the one who “has their shit together,” rely on your support network.
Know when you need help and don’t be ashamed to ask for it. Surrounding yourself with people who support you and want to see you succeed will keep you from feeling overwhelmed.
5. Don’t Take Failure Personally
Failure is a part of life; it’s a way for us to learn from our missteps and change for the better. So, when you catch yourself reflecting on your past experiences, dwell on it but use your mind rather than your feelings. Think about what you could have done differently and use that information to come out on top next time.
It’s all about perspective. The sooner you understand that, the better.
6. Increase Your Emotional Awareness
Emotions aren’t all bad—it’s how you act on them that can be problematic.
So, instead of sweeping them under the rug, identify your emotions. Give your feelings a name, acknowledge them, focus on how they’re making you feel, and understand what triggers them. The point is to develop a good relationship with your different emotions and feelings so you can clearly explain what you’re going through, build better relationships, and foster trust.
By making an active choice on how you respond to emotions, you let your mind take the wheel. You’re able to resolve conflicts without being overly clouded by emotions.
7. Stop Caring About What Others Think
“We all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own.” — Marcus Aurelius, former Roman Emperor
What others think about you shouldn’t matter. They don’t know your story, your journey, or who you really are. So, stop falling into this trap. All it does is interfere with your intuition and keep you away from analytical reasoning. Instead, believe in yourself so you can stay true to yourself.
8. Understand That You Can’t Control Everything
It’s difficult enough to control our thoughts, feelings, and reactions. Controlling what others think and do is an even greater impossibility. Instead of trying to direct your attention and energy towards others and your environment, focus on yourself and work towards your personal growth.
Making peace with the fact that you can only control yourself will help you cope better and help you develop skills that are guaranteed to give you an advantage in times of uncertainty.
While You’re at It, Learn To Replace Negative Thoughts
The power of negative thoughts is heavily explored in scientific literature. If left unchecked, negative thoughts can contribute to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and other negative emotions. Do it often enough and it can lead to a decline in cognitive reasoning and health.
It’s important to control your emotions and feelings before they start controlling you. The next time you catch yourself thinking irrational thoughts, take a deep breath and divert your attention. You can try practicing positive affirmations to cultivate intentional gratitude and try mindfulness to build your mental muscle.
Embrace Your Best Self
Both emotional and mental health are necessary for cultivating wellness.
However, because emotions are somewhat an innate aspect in human biology, you must centre your attention on how to train your mind to be stronger than your emotions and develop coping strategies that set you up for success. If you have a hard time following through, a virtual guide like MentalPower will help you.
It will teach you how to control your emotions, so you know when they threaten to overpower you. You’ll be more aware that they’re just that—emotions. Feelings pass but how you decide to act has longer lasting consequences so treat them accordingly. Remember, the point is not to suppress your emotions, but to manage them. Keep them in the backseat so your brain can take center stage.
