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Most of us would have set specific resolutions or goals that we want to achieve this year. While most of these plans start off well, they sometimes fall short, leaving many of us feeling guilty and frustrated at ourselves. Building mastery involves taking tiny and achievable steps. By doing so, we can significantly boost our mood, confidence, and self-esteem.
So, what is mastery?
Mastery is not a difficult skill. It is when we achieve something that we set out to accomplish, making us feel positive about ourselves. The result of such accomplishment is the feeling of being confident, competent, and in control. Mastery involves selecting a realistic goal that requires us to stretch past our limits.
Building mastery provides immense benefits to our mental health, so much so that it is being used in therapy. It is a skill that is implemented in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy to help clients develop confidence and self-esteem.
What benefits to our mental health can building mastery bring?
Besides fostering confidence and self-esteem, building mastery also helps us to become more resilient to negative emotions. Some of the benefits building mastery can bring are:
1. Better mood. It is always rewarding to witness ourselves progressing. Building mastery is more than just mastering a skill. It is celebrating the small accomplishments we overcome along the way.
2. Lowered stress level. It is crucial to have an activity that you enjoy doing to relieve stress. No matter how busy you are, it is vital to set aside time to wind down.
3. Increased self-esteem. Having constant thoughts of “I’m not good enough” or “I don’t think I can do it” is a sign of lacking confidence. When you are competent in doing something, you develop higher self-esteem, resulting in a better perspective of yourself.
4. Higher confidence. Witnessing the progress and improvement as you build mastery helps develop self-reliance and confidence. The critical factor is to start easy and plan achievable milestones.
5. Build concentration. When you set out to build mastery, it provides an avenue for you to focus on achieving so. Such an avenue allows one to develop attention span and focus.
6. Reduce anxiety level. Individuals who struggle with anxiety often experience poor concentration, lack self-confidence and self-esteem. Because building mastery helps to foster such emotions, it results in reducing anxiety levels.
7. Building social support. Some of the best activities that foster the building of mastery involve working as a group, from playing sports to hobby groups. Whether it is conducted online or in a physical space, such activities allow individuals to build a community.
All in all, building mastery helps you foster a positive approach to situations in life. At the end of the day, when you master a skill, you feel capable, in control, and competent.
You may build mastery in different manners of approach. Taking up a new hobby, learning a new language, or even exercising brings a ton of mental health benefits. There is a delicate yet distinct balance between setting a standard too high or low and building mastery. Building mastery is not a difficult skill, yet it takes time to do so. So, how do you build mastery?
Step 1: Plan for success.
Step 2: Start simple.
Step 3: Gradually stretch your limit.
Step 4: Try to do it every single day.
Step 5: Celebrate every small accomplishment.
Conclusion
Developing robust mental health is all about finding the right balance. Do not take building mastery as something you must accomplish, but rather a journey. Make sure you are finding the balance between what you want to achieve with having fun.
If you need advice and guidance in building robust mental health, do consider A Space Between. We partner with many counsellors and therapists who have years of experience. From private counselling to group session therapy, we offer some of the best therapy rooms in Singapore for your mental health needs. Seeking help is nothing to be ashamed of. For more information on the various services we provide, visit https://aspacebetween.com.sg/.