Mental Stamina: How To Cultivate It?

Mental stamina is crucial when studying, to help you maintain your focus on hard, intellectual problems for long periods of time. It is an important skill to have, and just like any other skill, it has to be exercised and built. Here are five strategies for cultivating mental stamina:

1. Take note of your environment 

Your environment plays a vital role in helping you focus on your task. From the temperature, to comfort, to distractions, finding a suitable location for studying or working on a task is crucial to ‘set the mood’ and keep you focused. 

Find out more about how to find a suitable study environment in our article, Study Surroundings

2. Visualise positive outcomes 

If you feel fatigued or unmotivated, you could try visualising positive and optimistic outcomes of your task, and even incentivising yourself to complete it. Research has found that thinking positively reduces stress and anxiety, which are constant drains to your mental energy reserve. Having a positive mindset is important to build your mental stamina! 

Find out more on how you can think positively in our article, Constructive Thought Patterns. 

3. Set attainable goals 

While you may have one large, ambitious goal, setting smaller goals within these large goals can provide structure and milestones to motivate you. These goals can be as small as a deadline to complete a certain portion of your project, writing a certain number of words, or to study for a certain period of time. Goal-setting creates a positive feedback loop. Accomplishing a goal is rewarded with little bursts of dopamine which are related to positive feelings. This can train your brain’s mental stamina and motivate you to achieve larger goals! 

4. Front-loading work 

Everyone feels more energised at the start of a study session rather than the end. Starting off with the hardest task on your to-do list may just give you the momentum you need to sit through that long study session for the day! If a task makes you feel the most daunted, stressed or worried, it is best to start with that and get it out of the way. This will motivate you to get the easier tasks done after that!

5. Be mindful of your lifestyle

Things like getting enough sleep, exercising regularly and eating the right foods also play a role in building your mental stamina and maintaining good physical and mental health. Never underestimate the benefits of these three components in your daily life, and start to be more conscious of your lifestyle and habits! 

Find out more about these lifestyle practices in our other articles. 

Mental stamina will take time to build and train. While these are some ways you can cultivate better mental stamina, everyone has a limit, and it is okay to take breaks to rest and rejuvenate. Just like playing a sport, rest is just as important as your stamina! 

Sources: 

https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2019/02/04/how-to-cultivate-mental-stamina/ 

https://freedom.to/blog/how-to-stay-focused-studying/ 

https://www.aconsciousrethink.com/16382/how-to-increase-mental-stamina/ 

By: Shana Lam