Strength training, in fitness terms, refers to lifting weights or doing weight-bearing exercise to improve muscle tone and metabolism, and to be resilient against injury.
When it comes to our inner lives, though, it’s all too easy to confuse “having strength” with “carrying the weight of the world.” Just like overloading the barbell with too much weight will hurt, not heal, our bodies, holding on too forcefully to life’s stresses doesn’t make us stronger, it makes us tighter.
So how do we build inner strength of the balanced, self-compassionate, and authentically positive variety?
1) Let ‘No’ Be a Complete Sentence
A hallmark of inner strength is a person’s ability to set boundaries and say “no” without guilt, shame, or conditions. Especially when declining an invitation, a request, or an offer feels like a statement about a relationship, job ambition, or self-confidence, remember to look inward for reassurance and guidance. Your instincts about what serves your joy and peace—and what does not—are usually spot-on.
2) Monotask When Possible
Multitasking is the way of the world these days, it seems. But the more we ask ourselves to focus on simultaneously, the less we have to offer each task or activity. Try whenever possible to carve our time to devote to important moments in your day. Minimize distractions by turning off phone notifications or leaving devices outside of a space where you’re trying to focus. And feel the satisfaction that comes from having the inner resolve to stick with a task—just one—until it’s complete.
3) Pay Attention
Build inner strength by focusing your attention on yourself—how you feel in your body, where you are in a room or a space, and what is going on around you. Whether you do this through intentionally mindful practices like meditation, yoga or gentle stretching, or prayer, or simply take a deep breath and take a calm look around the room, know that each time you pay attention, you are reinforcing your ability to be present, centered, and peaceful wherever you find yourself.
4) Move Your Body
“Mens sana in corpore sano,” says the famous Latin phrase meaning “a healthy mind in a heathy body.” To build inner strength, we need to feel as strong as possible in our bodies. That doesn’t mean hours of rigorous exercise each week, but it does mean trying new physical activities, or pairing relaxing activities like a friend’s visit with gentle movement like walking through a park. Whether we’re stretching beyond our comfort zones or returning to beloved healthful practices, movement grounds us in our bodies so we can travel our days feeling strong both inside and out.
What helps you build inner strength?
