13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do: Take Back Your Power, Embrace Change, Face Your Fears, and Train Your Brain for Happiness and Success

The Introduction recounts the author’s personal journey through successive waves of profound loss—first, the sudden death of her mother; then, the unexpected passing of her husband; and finally, the terminal illness of her husband’s father. Through each tragedy, she describes how grief unfolded as an intense, cyclical process that demanded both emotional surrender and active coping. Drawing on her training as a therapist, she emphasizes that time alone does not heal; rather, the manner in which one engages with that time determines the speed of recovery. By allowing herself to feel sadness, anger, and acceptance, she gradually moved from feeling stuck to purposeful action: returning to work, redefining personal goals, and ultimately creating a list of “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do” (6).

The author frames this list as a distilled set of habits that she discovered while navigating grief and applying therapeutic principles to her own life. She argues that mental strength is cultivated not merely by adopting positive routines but by consciously eliminating counterproductive behaviors that sabotage progress. The narrative situates the book within a broader self-help tradition that blends personal storytelling with evidence-based guidance, yet it also reflects the author’s bias toward therapeutic frameworks and a belief in individual agency.