A quote from the sport by Frank Stäbler, bronze medal winner in wrestling in Tokyo 2021: "I reprogrammed my mind for success just a few minutes after the defeat and won bronze."

Being mentally fit means not reacting to challenging situations or setbacks in a stressed, upset and anxious manner, but in a calm, clear and focused manner. The basis for this is to step out of the stress cycle in the situation in a self-determined manner and actively tackle apparently negative situations with a positive mindset. In principle, this is possible at any time, but what does this mean in concrete terms?

Stress can be when a project is on the brink of collapse, when you fail at a crucial point, when you have a task that you don't feel up to, when the mood in the team changes, when you are in the middle of a serious conflict in your private life or simply can no longer combine work, family and relaxation, or, or, or! What is "normal madness" and absolutely feasible for some, throws others off course.

Regardless of personality, disposition, experience and established behavioral patterns, we can change the way we deal with stress, become mentally fitter in the situation and more stress-resistant in the long term.

How to become more stress-resistant in the long term

What happens when we are confronted with massive challenges? A mental movie starts of "I'll never make it!", "How do I get out of this?", "I wish I'd done more" et cetera. If we remain in this mental carousel, our body starts to react as if we were in acute physical danger and we remain trapped in the stress brain. The amygdala, the fear center in the brain, takes over - tunnel vision, 'fight, flight or freeze' reactions are the result and the door to the creative center in the brain remains closed.

How can we train ourselves to be calm, curious, creative, focused and strong in the midst of stress?

In the first moment of confrontation, stress reactions are absolutely normal and our 'survival response'. Complete calmness would be too little in the face of an acute crisis; our brain's 'hello wake-up call' is a good way to become present. You are mentally fit if you can perceive your own stress reaction as a warning signal, immediately change internally and become calm in the inner and outer turmoil. This opens up access to the creative center in the brain and we are back in our power.

Mental fitness can be trained in the same way as physical fitness. Some of us can only master flat stretches without getting out of breath, some hills and a few of us mountains. In other words, how can I master "mental mountains", i.e. massive crises, without being driven by stress, anger or fear? How can I build up and increase my mental fitness?

Mental muscles for mental fitness

There are three mental muscles that are responsible for interrupting the stress response, for active mindset shift and for choosing strength-oriented action. The effect of activating these muscles is noticeable in the acute situation. Stressful situations that previously upset you can now be tackled calmly, clearly and with focus. Mental training leaves neurological traces that can be detected by MRI. New neural pathways are built up through repetitive use, new behavioral options replace old patterns and stress resistance increases. Shirzad Chamine, founder of Positive Intelligence, offers research and effectiveness studies on this.

Focused attention on a sensory perception

At the heart of mental training are exercises to focus attention on a specific sensory perception, which can be used in any acute situation and have an immediate and noticeable effect. These exercises, called 'PQ Reps', activate the corresponding regions of the brain and have a lasting effect through repetition. They involve focusing attention on one sensory perception - hearing, sight, touch, taste or even breathing - for ten seconds at a time. It is crucial that this happens in a focused manner and not casually.

The author

© ICF/Uta Nachbaur

Dr. Uta Nachbaur, PCC, CPCC, CPQC, is certified by the International Coach Federation and works as a chapter host for the ICF in Stuttgart. As a coach and trainer, she works internationally with executives and managers across industries on communication, leadership, performance and mental fitness. She is a partner at key!4c.