The most important kind of growth is mental growth. To grow up mentally is the first step to leveling up in all areas of life: emotionally, intellectually, and physically.
How to level up mentally
In this article, I'm going to share a few tricks to a better mindset, why it's important, and what it means to elevate your mentality. After using these tricks and tips, you'll notice an increase in your overall life satisfaction and self-confidence.
What does mental growth mean?
Mental maturity refers to your overall mindset. How do you think about yourself? How do you solve problems? What is your view of the world? All of these things make up exactly who you are as an individual. It's important to understand that mental growth does not mean you're abandoning who you are or were. More so, this kind of growth gives you permission to be exactly who you are – with confidence.
Why is mental growth important?
It's important that we actively focus on our personal mental health for a variety of reasons. Not only can mental neglect lead to depression, anxiety, and other serious health issues – we can find ourselves hurting those around us or acting irrationally and impulsively.
Building a good, solid mindset gives us confidence to make the right decisions for ourselves and for those we care for, like our children.
Leveling up mentally can also lead to better career opportunities and successful choices in business. I'm fully believe in the law of attraction – your mindset will attract others with the same mindset as you. Think like a boss, believe you're a boss, connect with other bosses. PERIODT.
Likewise, your mental maturity will attract you to friends or love interests who are on the same wavelength as you. This will be something that happens naturally. It will just feel right to be in the presence of these people because their energy flows right along with yours.
Please remember: it's still very important to pay attention to the red flags in a friendship. We can still attract the wrong people. Leveling up your mindset will allow you to to see those red flags a little more clearly.
Tricks To Level Up Mentally – Starting Today!
Now, let's get into the different ways you work on your mentality to become a better version of yourself.
1. Practice Positive Self-Talk
I cannot stress this enough – negative thinking and harmful self-talk is detrimental to your mental wellbeing. You cannot level up mentally without first, working on how you talk to yourself.
If you need a little help, try a positive affirmations card deck or use this list of affirmations. If you really want to get serious about building a positive mindset – then use this Positive Thinker Guide, which has affirmations, quotes, and positive thinking exercises!
2. Change your diet
I know you're probably thinking, “This is about my mind – not my body.” I used to think the same way. However, research has shown that what you eat has a direct impact on your mental health. The good bacteria in your gut basically tells your brain – hey, we're all happy today.
Try eating clean for awhile to see how it impacts your mind. You'll be surprised at how focused, energetic, and refreshed you feel.
3. Journaling
I used to be a big believer that journaling wasn't for me. I just didn't understand the point. It seemed sill to write when nobody would read it. It took some really low, lonely, and desperate moments for me to give journaling a real shot. This is what I learned:
Journaling isn't for anyone but your. It isn't meant to be read by anyone else. In fact, you don't even need to read what you write. The healing doesn't come from rereading your own words. The healing comes from the writing itself.
I've found journaling to be the most impactful when I write sporadically. I don't have a specific time of day when I journal. Honestly, it's not even something I do daily. I journal when I feel overwhelmed with my emotions – negative or positive. That's when I write out my gratitude or pain. I allow my mind to go wherever it wants to. If I think it – I write it. Doing so, can lead to mental breakthroughs and the release of mental or emotionally blockages.
Likewise, I journal when I need someone to talk to. Do I have people I can talk to? Thankfully, yes. Do I always want to chat with someone about how I'm feeling? Definitely not. This is when my journal becomes my BFF.
4. Move your body
Much like eating for your mental health, moving your body has many physical benefits, but it has a great impact on your body. Fitness, exercise, or overall active movement increase your body's happy hormones.
Want to level up mentally? Try leveling up physically as well. You don't need to go to gym – just find a movement you enjoy and do more of that.
5. Live With Intention
To live with with intention means making thoughtful choices – rather than impulsive ones. It means to allow your values and morals to guide you in the decisions you make. This refers to not only huge life decisions, but the seemingly mundane things you do every day.
6. Travel
While not everyone has the means to travel, if you can do it – take advantage of it! Traveling has a great impact on our mental health. The change in scenery allows us to be more mentally sharp and aware. Additionally, traveling offers you the opportunity to study other cultures and ways of life. Doing so, helps us to empathize with others more and to make more experienced decisions about our life path.
7. Have Difficult Conversations
Nobody enjoys having difficult conversations but doing so can help you to grow emotionally and mentally. In fact, these sort of conversations can lead to more meaningful relationships, self-awareness, and a level up in maturity.
8. Verbalize Your Wants and Needs
By speaking your wants and needs, you're telling the universe and those around you exactly what you need for personal growth. When you vocalize what you expect from others, they are more likely to take you seriously. Plus, this exudes confidence and lets others know you are serious.
9. Meditation and Prayer
Whether or not you find yourself to be religious or spiritual, I think mediation or prayer is very important. If you don't believe in a higher source, meditation is a powerful way to look within for answers. Consistent meditation and prayer, especially paired with journaling, can truly be life changing. You'll unlock memories and ideas you didn't know were within you.
Meditation can be a guide for the future and a window to the past. This is where the real work takes place.
10. Brain Games
Keep your mind strong and quick with brain games. These can be puzzle books or logic riddles.
11. Rest When Needed
As simple as it sounds, rest is something we often neglect with life is stressful. To remain mentally strong and to experience mental growth, rest is very important. Not only sleep but resting the mind and body. Relax on your couch, do a digital detox, enjoy mindless activities.
12. Try Something New
Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone by trying new things is a sure way to experience mental growth. You can turn hesitations from fear into excitement for the unknown.
13. Cut Bad Habits
The first step is admitting you have bad habits. Identify the habits that affect your mental health, physical health, or emotional health. Once you name these habits, you can work towards conquering them. This is truly a mentality hack because you'll feel better and be more confident all around.
14. Learning
Learning new things, mastering an art, perfecting a skill. All of these impact your mental wellbeing.
15. Develop a Self-Care Routine
When you care about yourself, you'll find yourself caring more about life overall. You'll find yourself appreciating the little things in life more. This is a direct path to leveling up mentally.
16. Manifesting/Scripting
Manifesting is a fun way to level up mentally. This can be done by speaking affirmations, writing your life exactly as you want it to be (AKA scripting), and by having a mentality of already having everything you want. Don't forget to express gratitude often and genuinely.
17. Therapy
I will always recommend therapy. While I understand everyone doesn't have easy access to therapists, if it's something you can do – take advantage of those resources. Cut the stigma of therapy. Online therapists are also a possibility now!
18. Date Yourself
Oh, I cannot recommend this enough. Get to know yourself! Treat yourself with the respect and kindness you would on a date. Go to beautiful places and do nice things.
Read more on this: How To fall In Love With Yourself
19. Practice Gratitude
You cannot expect good things if you don't already appreciate what you have. Genuinely spend time appreciating what you've already been given. Thanks can be given through prayer or meditation. You can also verbally express gratitude to those you love.
If you need an activity to help with this, I highly recommend my giant Dry Erase Gratitude Jar Stickers! These are great for adults or children.
20. Be Decisive
When you are direct and certain in your decisions, you build trust with yourself. The trust leads to confidence and confidence leads to taking risks. Taking risks a fast way to level up your mentality.
21. Welcome Change
Being welcome to change will help you to tackle anything that comes your way. Change can be wonderful and necessary for personal growth!
22. Try a Digital Detox
You'd be surprised by how much of our lives are consumed by technology. It's a distraction and at times, it can be an addiction. If you find that you can't enjoy time with your family or with yourself, try unplugging for awhile in this digital detox challenge. The time spent away from technology can be used to try these other tips to level up mentally.
23. Evaluate Your Friendships
Sometimes, our friendships can hold us back from our own personal growth. We can find ourselves being codependent with our friends or holding back because our success makes others jealous. Check out these red flags in friendship to decide if you need to rethink some friendships.
24. Set and Accomplish Goals
This is a given but setting and accomplishing goals is a huge mentality hack! It's a sure way to build confidence and allows you to take leaps and bounds in leveling up mentally! You are quite literally getting closer to your dreams coming true by knocking out those goals!
Here's a great list of attainable goals to set!
25. Be Selfless, Kind, and Giving
My final tip for maturing mentally is to just be a good human being. Do for others just because you want to make someone's life more enjoyable. Be selfless about it. Don't expect anything in return. Make it a genuine practice that you don't think twice about.
If you're ready to level up mentally, take advantage of these tips, tricks, and hacks! It's your life and only you can live it! Make yourself a priority today and every day!