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5 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do

How to let go of these bad habits.

Eric Sangerma
Wholistique
6 min readFeb 12, 2021

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The philosopher Alain de Botton once said: “A good half of the art of living is resilience.”

I like this thought. Before I could embrace all the joys and challenges life has to offer, I had to build up my mental strength and become resilient to everyday stress and to my own insecurities.

As I learned how to quiet my internal turmoil, I became both more patient and more adventurous. Now I can embrace serendipity because I know who I am, I accept my strengths and weaknesses.

Resilience is still a work in progress. But it’s easier since I figured out what needed to change. So let’s talk about traits NOT associated with resilience and mental strength.

1. Surrendering to Emotion

Starting with the most obvious one.

Emotions are important — they make us who we are. But some people never develop control over their feelings. This constantly makes life worse for them.

If you can’t rein in your temper, you’ll take your bad days out on your loved ones. If you can’t master your fear, it’ll hold you back from progress.

And if you can’t get a handle on your sadness — well, that’s when everything spirals out of…

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Wholistique
Wholistique

Published in Wholistique

Personal stories on self-discovery, relationships, and a holistic path to happiness. Wholistique is about growth, not fixing — because you’re not broken. We aim to shift your perspective and empower you with tools to navigate life.

Eric Sangerma
Eric Sangerma

Written by Eric Sangerma

Dad, husband, entrepreneur. Coaching others on navigating life's roles. Owner and Editor of Wholistique. Writing on mindset, relationships, and self-discovery.

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