Mental Fitness: You're Never "There" – It's an Ongoing Practice

Although we've passed the winter solstice where I live, it now feels like we're in the depths of winter. This time of year has always challenged me because I strongly identify as being solar-powered. I feel my energy, motivation and spirit come alive through spring, and I thrive over the summer months.

This week, I noticed something unexpected. Some of the old thought patterns I believed I'd extinguished have quietly started smouldering again. Not loudly enough to recognise as conscious thoughts, but subtle enough that they were influencing how I was showing up for myself and for the people around me.

A conversation this week brought it into focus.

I realised I wasn't actually thinking the negative stories, but I was feeling them. They were showing up as hesitation, self-doubt and a quiet erosion of confidence. It took someone else's perspective to help me recognise what I'd been missing.

It reminded me that mental wellbeing isn't something we achieve and then tick off the list.

Thankfully, we're beginning to think differently about mental health. Rather than seeing it as something we only talk about when we're struggling, we're recognising that we all move along a continuum. Sometimes we're thriving, sometimes we're working on something, and sometimes we're slipping backwards without even noticing.

I like the term mental fitness because it captures this perfectly.

As a former endurance athlete and someone who still enjoys exercising, I know that physical fitness is never a destination. You don't reach peak fitness and stay there forever. You train consistently. You adapt. You recover. You refine. There is always something to maintain or improve.

Our minds are no different.

What struck me this week is that I'd lost focus on the small things that help keep my own mental fitness strong. Just as I'd review a physical training plan if my progress stalled, I'd forgotten to check in with the routines, perspectives and conversations that keep me mentally in balance.

That doesn't mean I'd failed. It simply means I needed to notice, adjust and begin again.

In many ways, this is where coaching becomes so valuable. Whether it's a coach helping prepare for a sporting event or someone helping us navigate life's challenges, an outside perspective can often spot what we can't see ourselves. They help us recognise where we are now, where we'd like to be, and what adjustments will move us in that direction.

Perhaps that's what mental fitness really is. Not reaching a point where difficult thoughts never return, but becoming better at recognising them when they do and knowing what helps you move back towards the person you want to be.

So today, I'd encourage you to pause for a moment and ask yourself:

Where are you on your own mental fitness continuum?

Are you thriving, maintaining or drifting?

And what's one small thing that would strengthen your mental fitness this week?