Sometimes, when life feels incredibly hectic or complex, it can be challenging to focus on your own needs. You may face a situation that seems impossible to deal with. Maybe you don’t know where you’ll find the strength to push through.

It may even feel as though there are mental “limits” holding you back, preventing you from overcoming adversity. This is where the Finnish concept of “sisu” could help.

This powerful word – which has no direct translation in English – is derived from “sisus”, which means “guts” or “intestines” in Finnish. As a concept, its meaning describes the perseverance, courage, and mental fortitude at the heart of the Finnish national character.

It isn’t simply about finding willpower in the heat of the moment, either – it’s a continued determination that pushes you forward, even when the odds seem stacked against you.

With that in mind, continue reading to discover five ways you can apply sisu to your day-to-day life and potentially improve your mental resilience.

1. Embrace the discomfort

Sisu encourages you to step outside of your comfort zone and face challenges head-on. Rather than avoiding discomfort, you should aim to face it with purpose.

A great example of this might be speaking up in a difficult conversation when you feel as though you aren’t being heard.

By embracing these challenging moments, rather than shirking from them, you may be able to strengthen your mental resilience over time.

Each time you confront an ordinarily uncomfortable situation, you are essentially building a foundation for handling adversity in the future.

2. Commit to your long-term goals

Setting yourself long-term goals, and then sticking to them, is another practical way that sisu helps to improve your mental resilience.

It’s vital to remember that achieving meaningful results takes time, and if you give up at the first sign of struggle, you could lack the fortitude needed to reach goals in the future.

These goals don’t have to be significant either, such as building a considerable retirement fund or going to the gym every day. Even chipping away at a demanding project at work or dealing with complicated personal issues could help you feel more resilient and able to deal with life’s demands.

3. Practise mental fortitude

Since sisu is mostly about finding inner strength, practising mental fortitude is a way to cultivate this.

To do so, you may want to set yourself small and achievable challenges for the day ahead. These might include finishing a difficult task even though you feel unmotivated or keeping calm during a confrontation you know will be stressful.

Over time, these small acts of mental discipline could add up, helping you feel more able to fight through moments of pressure in the future.

4. Stay true to your values

Part of what makes sisu so effective is how it encourages you to be authentic and genuine to your values, even when facing a difficult situation.

When you stay true to what matters to you, you may find it easier to access the inner strength you need to deal with challenges, all while maintaining your integrity.

Being honest with yourself might mean challenging a friend or colleague or friend about something that has been on your mind, even if the thought of it is initially uncomfortable.

5. Cultivate some self-compassion

While much about sisu relates to being tough on yourself, mental resilience is often best paired with self-compassion.

Indeed, if you recognise your own limits, treat yourself with kindness, and allow yourself time for reflection, you may find that you’re better equipped to deal with hardship.

As an example, if you’re balancing work-related stress with some personal challenges, you may need to recognise the need for a break.

You may even find that, from time to time, too much sisu is actually a negative thing. Part of being compassionate to yourself is realising that there are times in life when it pays to quit while you’re ahead and then move on. Otherwise, you may find that constantly testing your limits can cause harm to your overall mental wellbeing.

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