Keep Going Bro

“The best way over is through”. – Robert Frost

Most of us have heard of “progressive overload” when it comes to lifting weights. The idea is simple: you gradually increase the stress placed on the body — a little more weight, a few extra reps — and over time, your muscles adapt and grow stronger.

What’s interesting is… the same principle applies to mental health. We just don’t talk about it that way.

I’ve been thinking about how we deal with stress, or anxiety, or even the general discomfort of trying something new. A lot of people assume that avoiding what feels uncomfortable is the right move — like stepping back from confrontation, skipping the social event, putting off the hard conversation.

But here’s the thing: when we avoid what makes us uncomfortable, we don’t actually escape it. We just stay the same.

What if, instead, we treated our minds like a muscle? Something we could challenge — gradually — so it becomes more resilient.

You don’t walk into the gym and deadlift 400 pounds on day one. That’d be dangerous, even kind of stupid. You start light. You strain a little. And then, next time, you try just a bit more. Eventually, you handle what used to crush you.

The same goes for mental weight.

Maybe for you, it’s speaking up when you normally stay quiet. Or making that phone call you’ve been avoiding. Or sitting with anxiety for five minutes instead of instantly trying to distract yourself.

None of that’s easy. And it’s not supposed to be.

But if you do it — not once, but consistently — something shifts. Slowly. Quietly. The thing that felt impossible starts to feel… manageable. Still tough, maybe, but no longer a wall you can’t climb.

Of course, there’s a balance. Just like in the gym, pushing too hard too fast can backfire. You can burn out. Shut down. So the goal isn’t to throw yourself into the deep end. It’s to wade in, deliberately. To stretch your capacity just slightly past what’s comfortable — and then recover.

And then do it again.

Over time, your tolerance builds. You get better at facing stress, because you’ve practiced it. You’ve trained for it.

This is something I’m still figuring out, honestly. I don’t always know when I’m genuinely not ready for something, versus when I’m just avoiding growth. Sometimes I push myself too hard, and sometimes I give myself too much slack.

But I think that’s part of it too — the trial and error. The messy in-between where you’re not quite sure if you’re growing or just surviving. The part that doesn’t look impressive, but still counts.

In a way, that’s where the real strength lives.

So yeah — progressive overload. Not just for your body.

Your mind needs training too.

Keep going, bro.

Have you seen this topic on my YouTube channel?