Why strong mental health is as important as a strong body

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Written By: Jennah James

(NATIONAL) Humans have achieved great feats in accomplishing strength of body. 

Throughout history, we’ve witnessed world records broken, Ironman triathlons, Navy SEALs training, Olympians bringing home gold. But is mental strength pushed to the side? Or do the accomplishments themselves prove that strong mental health had to be present in order to attain those goals?

Mental health is just as important as a strong body—perhaps more so. After all, it is the strong mind that pushes the body to its limits and beyond. 

The topic of mental health was the talking point during the 2021 summer Olympics in Tokyo. When gold medal gymnast Simone Biles decided not to continue during the competition, social media lit up. In one interview, Biles said that she has many techniques to help with her mental wellness, including using the mental health app called Cerebral. She is now the chief impact officer with the company.

It's been said that Olympic athletes need even more mental health support after the games are over. 

But it’s not just Olympians who need to train their brains. Former Navy SEALs David Goggins and Eric Greitens explain how anyone can master self-talk and mental toughness.

“Most situations aren’t that big, and if they are that big, usually we can find the strength to handle them just through having the right mental process,” Goggins said. 

Goggins said we should first begin by learning to recognize and control our own thoughts. 

For Goggins, the bulk of those lessons were during “Hell Week”, 130 hours of continuous grueling Navy SEALS training. The students run more than 200 miles and sleep fewer than four hours over six days, and only get about four hours of sleep throughout the week.

The wisdom can be applied in everyday life, and you don’t have to put yourself through hell to do it.

Easier tips for strengthening mental health include practicing gratitude, developing a sense of meaning and purpose in life, and developing coping skills. 

Recognizing when to seek professional help and actively doing so also takes a lot of strength. 

When it comes to mental health, it doesn’t matter how skilled an athlete is physically or how many push-ups and sit-ups they are able to accomplish during a physical fitness test. If mental strength isn’t at least matching and often surpassing the physical strength, there isn’t much hope for success when adversity happens. 

“Everybody has a wall in their mind, and it stops us from going further,” Goggins said. “Most walls have a door or a window. You have to find that. And once you open that door or that window, you’ll realize how much further you can go.” 

Positive self-talk, according to former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens, will also help in those moments of great hardship and difficulty. But only if you put it into practice. 

“Self-talk only works if it’s tied to real practice in the world,” Greitens said. “Self-talk without discipline practice is just self-delusion.” 

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