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The following guest post is by Amy Morin, a licensed clinical social worker in Lincoln, Maine. In addition to working as a psychotherapist, she is also an adjunct college psychology instructor and she serves as About.com’s Parenting Teens expert.
以下這篇客座文章的作者是艾米·莫蘭（Amy Morin），她是緬因州林肯市一位持有執照的臨床社會工作者。除了作為一名心理治療師外，她還是兼職大學心理學講師，此外她也擔任About.com網站的青少年養育專家。
Psychology often discusses mental health — but what’s not often discussed is a clear definition of mental strength. To me, mental strength means that you regulate your emotions, manage your thoughts, and behave in a positive manner, despite your circumstances. Developing mental strength is about finding the courage to live according to your values and being bold enough to create your own definition of success.
心理學常常討論精神健康問題——但如何清晰地定義精神力量卻不常被拿來討論。在我看來，精神力量意味著：無論處于何種環境中，都能夠調節自己的情緒，管理自己的思想，并且表現出積極的態度。培養精神力量就是根據自己的價值觀找到生活的勇氣，并勇敢地創造符合自己定義的成功。
Mental strength involves more than just willpower; it requires hard work and commitment. It’s about establishing healthy habits and choosing to devote your time and energy to self-improvement. (Check out Cheryl Snapp Connor’s post, based on my list of the 13 things mentally strong people avoid.)
精神力量不僅僅包含意志力；還要求勤奮努力和全力以赴。這其實是關于培養健康的習慣并選擇將時間和精力用于自我提高。
Although it’s easier to feel mentally strong when life seems simple — often, true mental strength becomes most apparent in the midst of tragedy. Choosing to develop skills that increase your mental strength is the best way to prepare for life’s inevitable obstacles.
盡管當生活平順時很容易感到精神強大，但真正的精神力量常常是在逆境中才最得以彰顯。掌握一些能夠增強精神力量的技能，是為生命中不可避免的挫折做好準備的最佳方式。
Many exercises exist that can help you develop mental strength. But here are five that can get you started:
有許多練習能夠幫助培養精神力量，但你可以從以下五個方面做起：
1. Evaluate Your Core Beliefs
1.評估你的核心信念
We’ve all developed core beliefs about ourselves, our lives and the world in general. Core beliefs develop over time and largely depend upon our past experiences. Whether you’re aware of your core beliefs or not, they influence your thoughts, your behavior and emotions.
我們都已經形成了關于我們自己、我們的生活以及世界的核心信念。核心信念隨著時間的推移而發展，并且主要取決于我們過去的經歷。無論你意識到與否，自己的核心信念都影響著你的思想、行為和情感。
Sometimes, core beliefs are inaccurate and unproductive. For example, if you believe that you’ll never succeed in life, you may be less apt to apply for new jobs — and inadvertently, you may not present yourself well on job interviews. Therefore, your core beliefs may become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
有時，你的核心價值觀是不正確的和徒勞的。例如，如果你認為自己此生都不會成功，你可能不大易于申請新的職位——而且無意間，你可能不會在工作面試中好好表現。于是，你的核心價值觀可能就成為了一種自我應驗的預言。
Identify and evaluate your core beliefs. Look for beliefs that are black and white, and then find exceptions to the rule. Very few things in life are “always” or “never” true. Modifying core beliefs requires purposeful intention and hard work, but it can change the entire course of your life.
識別并評估你的核心價值觀。尋找那些好的和不好的信念，然后找找例外。在生命中很少有什么是“一直”或“從不”正確的。修正核心價值觀需要下定決心并付出努力，但這能改變你的整個生命歷程。
2. Expend Your Mental Energy Wisely
2.明智地投放你的精力
Wasting brain power ruminating about things you can’t control drains mental energy quickly. The more you think about negative problems that you can’t solve, the less energy you’ll have leftover for creative endeavors. For example, sitting and worrying about the weather forecast isn’t helpful. If a major storm is headed your way, worrying about it won’t prevent it. You can, however, choose to prepare for it. Focus on what is only within your control.
浪費腦力反復琢磨你所不能控制的事情會很快耗盡精力。在你無力解決的負面問題上想得越多，留給創造性活動的精力就越少。例如，坐在那里擔憂天氣預報無助于事。如果一場大風暴正向你襲來，再怎么擔心也阻止不了。然而，你可以選擇做好相應的準備。只關注那些在你掌控范圍內的事吧。
Save your mental energy for productive tasks, such as solving problems or setting goals. When your thoughts aren’t productive, make a conscious effort to shift your mental energy to more helpful topics. The more you practice expending your mental energy wisely, the more it will become a habit.
省下精力留給一些有產出的任務吧，如解決問題或設定目標。當你的想法不會產生什么成果時，有意地將精力轉移到一些更有幫助的話題上。在如何明智地投放精力方面練習得越多，就越能習慣成自然。
3. Replace Negative Thoughts with Productive Thoughts
3.用有用的想法代替消極想法
Although most of us don’t spend time thinking about our thoughts, increasing your awareness of your thinking habits proves useful in building resilience. Exaggerated, negative thoughts, such as, “I can’t ever do anything right, ” hold you back from reaching your full potential. Catch your negative thoughts before they spiral out of control and influence your behavior.
盡管我們大多都不會花時間反思我們的想法，但事實證明，提高你對自己思考習慣的意識對培養韌性而言很有幫助。夸大的負面想法，如“我總是做不對事情”，會限制你充分發揮自己的潛力。在負面想法開始瘋長并影響你的行為之前把它們揪出來吧。
Identify and replace overly negative thoughts with thoughts that are more productive. Productive thoughts don’t need to be extremely positive, but should be realistic. A more balanced thought may be, “I have some weaknesses, but I also have plenty of strengths.” Changing your thoughts requires constant monitoring, but the process can be instrumental in helping you become your best self.
找出過于消極的想法，并用更有用的想法取而代之。有用的想法不必非常積極，但應該講求實際。一個更加平衡的想法可能是，“我有一些弱點，但我也有許多長處。”改變自己的想法需要不斷地自我監測，但這一過程有助于實現最好的自我。
4. Practice Tolerating Discomfort
4.練習對不適的忍耐度
Being mentally strong doesn’t mean you don’t experience emotions. In fact, mental strength requires you to become acutely aware of your emotions so you can make the best choice about how to respond. Mental strength is about accepting your feelings without being controlled by them.
精神強大并不意味著不會經歷情緒波動。事實上，精神強大要求你能夠敏銳地意識到自己的情緒，這樣你就能在如何應對方面做出最好的決定。精神強大是接受自己的情緒，并不被它們所控制。
Mental strength also involves an understanding of when it makes sense to behave contrary to your emotions. For example, if you experience anxiety that prevents you from trying new things or accepting new opportunities, try stepping out of your comfort zone if you want to continue to challenge yourself. Tolerating uncomfortable emotions takes practice, but it becomes easier as your confidence grows.
精神力量還包括知道何時應與自己的情緒反著來。例如，如果你很憂慮以至于不能嘗試新的事物或者接受新的機會，想要繼續挑戰自己的話就試著勇敢地走出自己的舒適區。容忍令人難受的情緒需要練習，但隨著你的自信心不斷增長，這會變得越來越容易。
Practice behaving like the person you’d like to become. Instead of saying, “I wish I could be more outgoing, ” choose to behave in a more outgoing manner, whether you feel like it or not. Some discomfort is often necessary for greater gain, and tolerating that discomfort will help make your vision a reality, one small step at a time.
你想成為什么樣的人，就練習著像他們一樣行事。不要只在嘴上說：“我希望我能變得更加外向。”而是選擇以一種更加外向的方式行事，無論自己是否喜歡這樣做。為了有更大的收獲，經歷些許不適常常是必要的。忍耐這種不適將有助于你愿望成真，不積跬步無以至千里。
5. Reflect on Your Progress Daily
5.每日反思你的進展
Today’s busy world doesn’t lend itself to making much time available for quiet reflection. Create time to reflect upon your progress toward developing mental strength. At the end of each day, ask yourself what you’ve learned about your thoughts, emotions and behavior. Consider what you hope to improve upon or accomplish tomorrow.
當今忙碌的世界使人們沒有很多時間可以靜靜地思考。創造一些時間，反思你在培養精神力量方面的進展。每天結束之時，問問自己在思想、情緒和行為方面學到了什么。思考一下明天你希望提高哪些方面或者完成哪些目標。
Developing mental strength is a work in progress. There is always room for improvement, and at times this will seem more difficult than at other times. Reflecting upon your progress can reinforce your ability to reach your definition of success while living according to your values.
培養精神力量是一個循序漸進的過程。總有提高的余地，而且有時這似乎會格外困難。反觀你的進展能夠強化你的能力，實現你所定義的成功，同時按照你的價值觀生活。
