Mental Fortitude: Art of Making Lemonade from Life’s Lemons

As the saying goes “Adversity introduces a man to himself”, life adversities reveal our true selves. Picture life as a Halloween night with lurking monsters, and you’re armed with a lightsaber to fend them off, it may not be as dramatic as hocus pocus or star wars with a background score and you mightn’t look as cool as jedi, however, you can still fight off these “nuances” in your t-shirt and pyjamas with just your mental poweress, which is even cooler–almost like telekinesis. 

What exactly is Mental Fortitude?

Mental fortitude or mental toughness is closely related to the concept of resilience and hardiness. According to merriam-webster, strength of mind enables  a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage. It’s not entirely innate, elements are present from the beginning, while others are formed as a result of our experiences and how we cope with them. 

Psychological basis of Mental Fortitude

Here’s how mental fortitude comes together:

1. Darwin’s Evolution: Just like animals evolve traits that help them survive, we build mental fortitude through our experiences (Jayawickreme & Blackie, 2014).
2. Duckling Imprinting: We learn from our surroundings, especially as we grow up, just like a duckling learns to follow its mother. Early interactions and experiences of encouragement and love create the foundation for how we approach obstacles later in life (Wimer et al., 2021).
3. Cognitive Behavioural Theory: It sheds light on how our beliefs influence our feelings and behaviours and how negative self-talk leads to compromised mental strength (Kim et al., 2021).  
4. Growth Mindset: Carol Dweck stated that a growth mindset is the belief that we can improve with effort (Yeager & Dweck, 2020). 
5. Post-Traumatic Growth: Overcoming hardships can result in significant personal growth. People who face and conquer difficulty typically become more self-aware and have a greater understanding of life, according to study. 
6. Neuroplasticity: It’s the neuroscientists magnum opus, discovered in the 20th century. It is the brain’s ability to reorganise itself by establishing new neural connections over time and adapt. Research by Sara Lazar (2005) shows that the brain can change and rearrange itself in response to stress and mental training. Our neural network mould itself as we mould it, self pitying and victimisation can be changed to ways that are more helpful.

Building Blocks of Mental Fortitude

1. Build Strong Relationships: The fuel human needs is of support and attachment. Studies done by Cohen and Wills (1985) highlight the importance of social support in building mental fortitude.
2. Boost Your Self-Efficacy: Albert Bandura(1977) research showed that higher self-efficacy is associated with greater persistence and better stress management. Everyone is living a life of trials, everyone makes mistakes, maybe they don’t shout them out but that’s how life works, so don’t shy from your own mistakes, own them! And have a resolve to improve.
3. Stay adaptable: Life is full of surprises. Being able to adapt to new conditions and remain flexible allows you to handle anything that comes your way. 
4. Manage Emotions: Effectively managing emotions and stress can help you stay focused and solve difficulties. Having a cathartic voluntary session with your loved ones or alone could help prevent inhibition of emotions (Bukar et al., 2019). Moreover, Jon Kabat-Zinn conducted research and found that   Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) can boost mental resilience and improve overall psychological well-being. Baer (2003) also found that mindfulness activities assist regulate stress and improve mental fortitude.
5. Find Purpose and Meaning: Having a clear aim or reason for your problems helps you stay motivated. To put it into perspective, let’s think about how Harry Potter and the Hogwarts ultimate mission, their desperation to safeguard their world and combat dark forces is a perfect example of how having a purpose may help you overcome even the most difficult obstacles. 

Mental Fortitude and Indian Culture

Indian values, like karma and perseverance, enforce the idea of  viewing challenges as growth opportunities, blending traditional wisdom with modern psychological insights could help improve mental resilience.

What the Research Says

Studies reveal that mental fortitude has tons of advantages. According to research published in 2016, those with high resilience perform better in school and have lower levels of anxiety and despair (Bastaminia et al., 2016). Another study in Frontiers found that strong mental fortitude is associated with improved problem-solving abilities and higher life satisfaction (Lin et al., 2017).

Culmination of it all

Mental fortitude refers to your ability to confront and conquer life’s problems. You can build resilience by knowing how it develops and using crucial tactics, such as those that improve neuroplasticity. .Whether inspired by Darwin’s evolution, duckling psychology, or the epic travels of Harry Potter and Frodo in The Lord of the Rings, embracing mental fortitude allows us to convert life’s lemons into the best lemonade ever.

–Sumbul Khwaja

(Child Psychologist)