Here's what I'm seeing in my friends and clients lately. They're at the end of their rope. They haven’t had a break. They’re starving for social interaction. They're worried about homeschooling their children again. They're anxious about the risks of the virus. They're concerned about their financial situation. They're troubled by today's issues. They're making tough choices. They’re depressed, stressed, exhausted, lonely, and discouraged.
Whew! It was hard enough getting through the first 9 innings, but now we’re going into extended overtime! And we need a boost. We need a strategy if we’re going to make to the end in good shape.
I love the subject of building resilience. For some time, I’ve been collecting experience and wisdom on how to get stronger through our trials, instead of weaker. I confess, my strategy in the past has been to just grit my teeth and get through it. It wasn’t pretty. But then I started learning that it can be different.
So how can you make it for the long haul? How can you grow, instead of wilt? Read my new blog series on Resilience and see. I’ll have a new idea each post. And I’ll keep it short, so it’s easy to implement.
The first key to building resilience is to start your day off right.
1. Get centered. Everyone I know says their day goes better when they begin it with a positive centering time. Do a devotional. Meditate. Express gratitude. Stretch and breathe. Exercise. Get in nature. Listen to music that's energizing, calming, or inspiring.
2. Clear. You want a fresh start for the day, not the continuing accumulation of inner crud. So take a few minutes to process. Ask yourself, “What's bothering me? What am I feeling? What are my negative thoughts?” Journaling is super helpful here to work through your struggles. Focus on one of your issues, and make it your intention to either accept it or change it. That will free up mental space.
3. Self-care. If you don’t put your needs on the front burner at the beginning of the day, chances are, it ain’t gonna happen! So give yourself permission to look at, “What do I need, for me?” Then plan to meet one of your needs during the day, even if it’s in a small way. Don’t give into the guilt, or the thought that this isn’t a priority. Meeting a need can give you a tremendous boost, and will contribute towards your well-being.
Do you know what? This isn’t too difficult. Just 20 minutes or so in the morning. You can do it! And it will make such a difference in setting yourself up to win.
These are trying times, and my heart goes out to each one of you. But together, we can make it through. I'll be sharing many more tips for building resilience, and I want to hear your ideas as well. Schedule a coaching session if I can be an additional support to you. And let’s keep one another in our prayers and good thoughts.
Commenti