--- title: How to Get Past a Crisis: What Mentally Strong People Do description: Amy Morin, author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, explains how mentally strong people bounce back after a crisis. canonical: https://time.com/4295247/mentally-strong-crisis-bounce-back/ author: Amy Morin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-04-20T15:34:34.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T09:02:15.736Z og:title: 9 Ways Mentally Strong People Bounce Back from a Crisis og:description: They start by focusing on what they can control og:url: https://time.com/4295247/mentally-strong-crisis-bounce-back/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7b8403138d795b72/69888f33f887dc14e0e9577f/bounce-back-mentally-strong-people-crisis.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 7320 og:image:height: 4118 og:image:alt: 542721753 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 9 Ways Mentally Strong People Bounce Back from a Crisis twitter:description: They start by focusing on what they can control twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7b8403138d795b72/69888f33f887dc14e0e9577f/bounce-back-mentally-strong-people-crisis.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 9 Ways Mentally Strong People Bounce Back from a Crisis > Sponsored content. 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Worth Your Time is TIME's culture newsletter, published Tuesdays and Saturdays to 40,000 subscribers as of August 2026. #### Who writes TIME's culture recommendations? Culture editor Eliza Berman writes Worth Your Time, drawing on TIME's critics and culture desk. #### Is Worth Your Time free? Yes. It is a free newsletter available at time.com/newsletters. by [Amy Morin](https://time.com/author/amy-morin/) ## Amy Morin Apr 20, 2016 3:34 PM UTC  Man jumping in dust Man jumping in dust Getty Images by [Amy Morin](https://time.com/author/amy-morin/) ## Amy Morin Apr 20, 2016 3:34 PM UTC There’s a good chance you’ll experience some type of crisis during your life: Research estimates that [almost 90% of people endure at least one traumatic event](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11650812%5FThe%5Fstressor%5Fcriterion%5Fin%5FDSM-IV%5FPosttraumatic%5FStress%5FDisorder%5FAn%5Fempirical%5Finvestigation). Whether you’re dealing with serious health problems, natural disasters or the loss of a loved one, adversity doesn’t have to hold you back from reaching your greatest potential. Mentally strong people often bounce back from a crisis even better than before; they may even report feeling healthier, happier and more hopeful after a tragic event. In my experiences as a therapist and through my research for my book, [_13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do_](http://www.amazon.com/Things-Mentally-Strong-People-Dont/dp/0062358294?tag=timecom-20), I’ve discovered the strategies that help mentally strong people thrive after a crisis: **1\. They focus on what they can control**Digging in your heels won’t stop a crisis from happening, but it will waste your time and energy. Mentally strong people put their resources where it matters most by focusing on what they can control—even when the only thing they can control is their effort and attitude. **2\. They reflect on what they’ve learned**You can learn a lot about yourself in your darkest hours. While it’s not helpful to replay your painful memories, taking time to think about what an experience has helped you learn can lead to growth. **3\. They take decisive action**Ignoring problems or hosting a pity party won’t make a difficult situation any better. In fact, the longer you avoid problems, the bigger they might grow. Mentally strong people look for solutions and tackle problems head-on. **4\. They practice gratitude**No matter how rough your experiences are, there’s always something to feel grateful for. Mentally strong people [practice gratitude](http://motto.time.com/4281397/daily-mindfulness/), even during the toughest times. They remind themselves of all the good things in life while still acknowledging their pain. **5\. They look for new opportunities**Sometimes a crisis can change your entire life. A job loss or a financial disaster may force you to change course. Mentally strong people accept that they need to adapt to change, and they look for opportunities that will improve their lives. **6\. They evaluate their priorities**A major crisis can cause you to second-guess the way you’ve lived your life. But instead of questioning themselves, mentally strong people turn life-altering circumstances into an opportunity to take a closer look at their priorities. Through this process, they ensure that their behavior is in line with their values. **7\. They recognize their inner strength**Thinking things like, “I can’t handle this,” or “I can’t get through this,” will affect your ability to cope. Mentally strong people draw upon their inner strength. They trust in their ability to deal with whatever life throws their way. **_Read more:_** [_8 Ways Mentally Strong People Prevent Stress From Dragging Them Down_](http://motto.time.com/4287443/mentally-strong-stress/) **8\. They take care of themselves**It’s impossible to be at your best if you’re exhausted and worn down. So even in the middle of tough times, mentally strong people make sleep, exercise and healthy eating a priority. They know they can’t be mentally strong if they’re not feeling physically strong. **9\. They remain psychologically flexible**Recovering from a crisis requires you to be flexible in the way you think, feel and behave. Mentally strong people are committed to adapting their circumstances. Rather than repeat their usual patterns, they’re open to creating positive change in their lives. [_Amy Morin_](http://www.amymorinlcsw.com/book/) _is a psychotherapist, speaker, and the author of_ [13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do](http://www.amazon.com/Things-Mentally-Strong-People-Dont/dp/0062358294?tag=timecom-20)_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4295247/mentally-strong-crisis-bounce-back/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4295247/mentally-strong-crisis-bounce-back/"},"headline":"9 Ways Mentally Strong People Bounce Back from a Crisis","datePublished":"2016-04-20T15:34:34.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T09:02:15.736Z","description":"They start by focusing on what they can control","url":"https://time.com/4295247/mentally-strong-crisis-bounce-back/","keywords":["motto","mindfulness"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7b8403138d795b72/69888f33f887dc14e0e9577f/bounce-back-mentally-strong-people-crisis.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Amy Morin","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/amy-morin/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7b8403138d795b72/69888f33f887dc14e0e9577f/bounce-back-mentally-strong-people-crisis.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"542721753","caption":"542721753","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/motto/","name":"motto"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4295247/mentally-strong-crisis-bounce-back/","name":"9 Ways Mentally Strong People Bounce Back from a Crisis"}}]}] ```