The Science of Mental Toughness & How to Build It

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

Mental toughness is an extremely important trait when it comes to overcoming adversity and persevering to the finish line. It is the self-control to maintain discipline and persevere through challenges. But what does it mean to be mentally tough, and how do our brains adapt to become more mentally tough?

What is Mental Toughness

There is a connection in the brain that creates traits like mental toughness, discipline, and self-control. These areas are the anterior cingulate cortex and the corona radiata. The degree of self-control and discipline a person has is determined by the number of connections between these two areas. More connections means more self-control.

How is Mental Toughness Built

Some people naturally have a high number of connections, but for the rest of us, it’s possible to increase our number of connections and improve our mental toughness with specific training for less than twenty minutes a day. This specific training is called integrative mind-body training, which involves intentionally bringing our awareness to our body’s discomfort and choosing to persevere instead of retreat. Over time, practicing self-control in this way for less than 20 minutes per day will help you successfully build mental toughness and become more mentally tough.

By making ourselves uncomfortable in normal day-to-day situations, we can build up mental toughness for when we really need it. Take the stairs, park your car farther away, take a cold shower. We can build mental toughness with almost everything we do. Practice being tough for the easy stuff so you can be tough for the real struggles.