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Work is often where we're mentally and emotionally tested the most.

Mental strength isn't about denying feelings or pushing through pain at all costs.

Mental strength is about more than just surviving tough times—it's about thriving in all areas of your life.

Mental strength helps you persevere, adapt, and thrive under pressure, no matter what you're going through.

When I landed my first job as a therapist, I was determined not to become one of the statistics. Most therapists burn out within seven years in the field. It's a tough job—even among the professionals who are trained to help people manage stress and exhaustion. I told myself I would practice good self-care and would keep my stress under control. And in those early days, when my personal life was smooth sailing, staying optimistic was easy.

But about a year into my career, everything changed. My mom passed away unexpectedly, and dealing with the overwhelming grief while simultaneously supporting my clients through their own struggles was harder than I imagined.

Life wasn't done testing me yet, though. Three years to the day after my mom died, my 26-year-old husband, Lincoln, passed away from a heart attack. My life felt like it had flipped upside down. And the loss was so sudden and unexpected that it took a while to even wrap my head around what had just happened.

I had lost the two people closest to me in a span of three years, but I had to keep working. Sitting in my therapy office, helping other people deal with their life problems, felt nearly impossible when my own life was in complete shambles. I was sad, but I had to figure out how to concentrate on my job. I was anxious about everything from paying the bills to finding time to shovel the snow out of my driveway, but I had to help solve other people's problems. I was angry, but I had to stay calm in the office. I was exhausted, but I had to show up.

Step by step I pushed forward. I managed to hold down my job while slowly rebuilding my personal life. It took years to find my footing again. And life, as it always does, continued to be a roller coaster of ups and downs.

What kept me grounded during those years were the mental strength strategies I'd learned to try whenever I felt stuck—and a clearer understanding of what mental strength actually is.

What Is Mental Strength?

When I first started writing about mental strength, I realized there were a lot of misconceptions about what it meant to be mentally strong. Some people thought mental strength was about suppressing emotions and insisting everything was fine, even when it wasn't. This extreme view of "mental toughness" often leads people to avoid doing anything they might fail or make them look "weak."

Others seemed to think mental strength was about showing off how much pain you can endure. People with such a mindset glorify pain and insist suffering is evidence of progress. They push themselves to the limits and punish themselves for any perceived mistakes or shortcomings.

But mental strength isn't about denying feelings or pushing through pain at all costs. It's about learning how to manage your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in a way that helps you achieve your goals and live according to your values.

Many people also think mental strength is synonymous with resilience. Resilience is about "bouncing back" after life knocks you down. And while resilience is important, who wants to go through life just bracing themselves for the next tragedy so they can bounce back? Mental strength is about more than just surviving tough times; it's about thriving in all areas of your life. It's about achieving your greatest potential during the good times, too, so you can make the most of your life.

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Why Mental Strength Is Essential at Work

Work is often where we're mentally and emotionally tested the most. The demands are constant, the stakes are high, and there's no halftime break. Unlike your personal life, in which you have more control over your time and who you spend it with, work often comes with rigid structures and limited choices. You don't decide who your teammates are or what tasks you're assigned, and the rules of the game are set by your organization.

This means work is also one of the best places to build mental strength. There are endless opportunities to practice your skills. Even on the toughest days, you're expected to collaborate with a difficult colleague, manage your stress, or battle self-doubt. And when life throws curve balls your way, such as going through a divorce, caring for a sick family member, or coping with your own health challenges, giving up work probably isn't an option. In fact, that's often when we need the income and the benefits the most.

Today's fast-paced world hasn't made work easier. In many ways, work has become more challenging. Technology blurs the boundaries between work and personal life, and the challenges of disconnecting are impacting our mental health. Add in rapid changes to the workplace, uncertainties about the future of work, and the lingering burnout created by the pandemic, and earning a living becomes more complex than in past generations.

That's where mental strength becomes your competitive edge. It helps you persevere, adapt, and thrive under pressure, no matter what you're going through.

Excerpted from my book, The Mental Strength Playbook.

Morin, A. (2026). The mental strength playbook: 50 tools to cope with stress, thrive under pressure, and gain a competitive edge in the workplace. Harmony/Rodale.

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