Mental toughness and resilience go hand-in-hand. When going becomes tough, resilience and mental toughness help us in staying calm, fighting challenging situations, and preventing negative inclinations. To gain insights into the science of mental toughness and change the mindset for facing tough times, here are the top 6 books from psychologists, coaches, and experienced authors.
Mentally Tough Me, by Justin Bower
This self-help book from Justin Bower is ideal for anyone who is looking for the best in themselves. Useful morals and fun stories from the author’s personal experiences at a young age aids in binding the prescribed solutions to real life. They are just not confined to be mentally tough while contesting but expand to show how to be mentally tough in other life scenarios such as jobs and academics for finding the best in oneself.
From meeting rooms to professional stages and Wimbledon courts, the best people on the planet have one common trait; they know to plan and perform successfully. They know that winning is not by chance but by opportunity. This is what the author believes and propagates through this book.
He shares the secrets for developing a victorious mentality so that one can become successful in different stages of life. This is regardless of whether one is a professional tennis player or a rising entrepreneur facing the world’s most difficult rivals.
The book takes you on a profound journey through which you get a golden opportunity to develop a brave mind, step by step.
Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness, by Rick Hanson Ph.D and Forrest Hanson
Written by Dr. Rick Hanson who is a psychologist, this self-help book is a practical guide that focuses on the importance of having resilience for all tasks of life, ranging right from healing a chronic pain to working at office. It provides realistic suggestions, examples, and exploratory insights into the brain to strengthen vital relations and interact effectively with others.
The author shows the way to develop 12 important inner strengths that are genuinely programmed in the nervous system. If they manifest within, one will be able to feel less stress, remain calm, and chase opportunities no matter what life brings in front.
For developing mental toughness by retraining the brain to be positive amidst adversities, the author takes you through the science of positive psychology and resilience. You can expect an intelligent influence on your brain and reduced self-criticalness required for being tougher mentally.
Overthinking: Learn How to Eliminate Negative Thinking and Build Mental Toughness with Successful Habits, by Fred Hansen
Not many people realize but overthinking makes you mentally weak. So, if you wish to know how this can be and how to come out of it, this book from Fred Hanson is for you. The author reveals a set of practical steps that can get one out from where she or he is stuck in life and motivate one for realizing the dreamed success.
The book throws light on what is overthinking, how it sabotages performance and mood, and how counteracting it makes one proceed to an improved life. It also reveals the best strategies to stop sabotaging yourself, the proven way to measure the subconscious stress, positive thinking facts, the easiest way to overcome overthinking, and dos and don’ts of thoughts and actions.
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, by Angela Duckworth
So, what is grit? Well, the author, Angela Duckworth, defines it as a special mix of passion and long-term persistence as a secret to a terrific achievement, which otherwise, is believed to be gained by talent. She shares her personal experience to explain that it is not talent or genius mind required to succeed but grit that contributes to mental toughness as well.
It is essential to have a goal for which you care to such an extent that it helps in organizing and giving meaning to anything you do. Grit is sticking unflinchingly to that goal even if you fail, mess up, or are slow.
This award-winning book is for all those who want to know why some fall while others succeed, how to stand up again after setbacks, and grit (the blend) is important for overcoming obstacles and succeeding in life.
Through the book, Duckworth introduces struggling cadets, teachers of a few toughest schools, and young National Spelling Bee finalists. She also shares her learnings by interviewing several respectful icons such as the CEO of JP Morgan and a cartoon editor of New York.
Victory Favors the Fearless, by Darrin Donnelly
To have a tough mind, it is extremely important to be fearless. It is not possible to accomplish anything until you come out of all fears acting as obstacles. Fearful thinking is destructive not only for your goal but also for your strong mind. Fear is ruling you if you are worrying, doubting your potential, or are dragging your feet away from your goal.
The book reveals seven common fears that hold you back from living a happy life. These are what others will think, what if I take a wrong decision, missing a better chance, fear of change, fear of permanent failure, fear of not being good, and setback fear.
It is believed that all worries and self-harming thoughts are due to one of these fears. This is what the author, Darrin Donnelly, explains through this book by giving a motivational story of a pro boxer who learns to remove these seven fears before defeating the fighting rivals. The techniques shown for the fear removal are applicable to any sphere of life.
Reset Your Mindset to Be a Champion, by Walter Arthur
This guide from Walter Arthur shows how your mindset affects your behaviors, what is a mindset of a champion like, and how to change your mindset for the better. Did you know that mindset governs how to perceive qualities such as talent and intelligence?
Mindset refers to one’s beliefs and thoughts that affect your thinking habits, how you feel, and what you do. Based on this, the book introduces the different types of mindsets, explains business mindset and leadership along with mindsets in relationships, and reveals the mindsets of parents, teachers, and coaches.
So, which book you think is best to make you mentally tough? Well, it could be more than one!