Strengthening the Muscle No One Sees
It is 2026! You know what that means right? People are pouring into gyms ready to get their "fit" on! We spend a lot of time talking about the energy we pour into the gym. Lifting weights, logging miles, tracking steps, and celebrating the strength we build in our physical bodies.
When it comes to physical health, people share their routines proudly. We prioritize it because we want to feel good, stay active for our families, and ensure that our future selves can continue living healthy, vibrant lives. But how many of us give that same level of intention and attention to our mental health?
The truth is simple. Mental strengthening is just as essential as physical training. Building emotional and cognitive resilience is what supports long-term health, happiness, and the ability to live a meaningful, grounded life. Yet unlike the gym membership we pay for or the workout clothes hanging in our closet, our mental gym is often overlooked.
So what does it look like to "work out" in your mental gym? How often are you truly exercising the muscles that shape your mindset?
Your mental gym is flexible and personal. Just like a physical workout, you get to choose where you focus your energy each day. Some days you need strength training. Some days you stretch. Some days you rest. But every visit matters.
Here are three simple, powerful ways to begin strengthening your mental muscles in 2026.
1. Read. Fuel Your Mind Like It Matters (Because It Does)
From the time we were young, we were told that reading is good for us, and the research shows just how true that is. Comfy Living recently published 21 compelling reading statistics—here are a few that stand out:
Reading can reduce stress by up to 68%.
86% of people earning $75,000+ per year read at least one book annually. The more they read, the more their income tends to grow.
50% of people who read before bed sleep better than non-readers.
Reading may reduce cognitive decline in older age by up to 32%.
Fiction readers often become better decision-makers.
Reading increases emotional intelligence, which impacts career success and relationships.
Reading isn’t just a hobby. It’s a mental workout that improves focus, empathy, creativity, problem-solving, and overall well-being. Even 10 minutes a day can strengthen your mental gym more than you realize.
2. Review Your Audience. Protect the Space Where Your Growth Happens
Your mental gym is sacred. And just like you wouldn’t allow someone to stand beside you on a treadmill criticizing your every move, you shouldn’t allow people into your mental space who drain your energy, diminish your confidence, or derail your growth.
In other words: Don’t let jerks join your workout.
Your mental gym deserves the right membership. People who support you, challenge you with care, stretch your perspective and want to see you become the best version of you.
Surrounding yourself with people who have your best interest at heart allows you to see blind spots, grow faster, and stay grounded. Vulnerability becomes strength in the right environment. The right audience can change your entire trajectory and make it more fun!
3. Embrace the Pause. Your Most Underrated Mental Workout
The pause is self-care in its most profound form. It’s the moment you step away from the noise and ask yourself, “What do I need right now?”
Your pause might reveal the need for a long walk, a quick sip of hot coffee to reset, or a slow, deep breath before moving forward.
The pause is where reflection happens. It’s where emotion settles. It’s where clarity returns. Allowing yourself to pause is one of the most transformative mental strengthening habits you can build.
Taking this moment has been proven to allow you to make better decisions, calm your nervous system, acknowledge your emotions without being ruled by them and stay aligned with your values so you navigate according to your own GPS and end up making the best choices for that moment.
This quiet moment of pause becomes power. And it can change everything!
Mental strengthening is not a one-time activity. It’s a lifelong practice, a commitment to yourself, and a gift to your future. You will have setbacks, just like in the physical gym, but every breakdown creates space for a breakthrough.
The more you strengthen your mental muscles, the more you begin to see opportunities, confidence, and resilience that were invisible before.
Your journey is worth it. And so are you.
Keep going my friends. KFG!
xxoo,
Krista
I’m Krista Ryan
My job is to help you learn a little, laugh a lot, and get clear on action steps for your success.
It may have taken a life changing event to shake me awake and decide I no longer wanted to live a comfortable life… I wanted to embrace the discomfort and live a life of courage and intention.
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