Resilience: Are you mentally fit?

Sadness and trouble concept. [Getty Images]

You must ask yourself certain questions to determine whether you are mentally fit or not. For instance, how well do you deal with problems or challenges in your life?

When you are sick, you will know it. Your body will want to sleep or you may want to have a warm glass of water because the symptoms come to you.

But when you are experiencing depression, anxiety or a deep sense of anguish, you may not always know it.

We tend to focus so much on the physical we forget about our mental health. We go to the gym, eat healthily, and dress well, which is all good, but how often do you take a moment to do a mental health check?

When you are mentally fit, you should be able to lean into challenges and be able to navigate change and stress no matter the kind of day you are having, every day. It involves developing key psychological resources that help you become aware of you feel, think and behave.

No matter the situation at hand, you should be able to connect with work, family, and whatever else you love. When you are mentally fit it means you are present, enthusiastic, focused, and eager to tackle hurdles. You are creative, can remember short-term information, and can resolve difficult emotions without being overwhelmed.

That, however, does not mean ignoring pain or a disability. It is about building strength and improving your well-being despite what you are going through. A person who may not have any illness may not be in the mental state to achieve their goals regardless of their clean bill of physical health.

It is about facing that mountain in your life. Each one of us has unique problems we are battling and it is entirely up to you to figure out how and what you will do about it.

If you find yourself reacting negatively, you can reprogramme yourself to be more aware, and instead of responding automatically, which comes from the survival brain and is very normal and present in all of us, choose a different reaction.

Create new thought patterns and reinforce them by doing them. You will experience improved sleep, more energy, and better results when it comes to relationships once you understand your mental fitness.