BLOG - Part 2 of 3 - How full is your inner well?

April Stress Awareness 3-Part Series
Part 2 of 3

As a follow-up to Part 1 of 3 bringing awareness to Stress – here are some tips to increase your resilience!

Resilience is a well of inner resources that allow you to weather life difficulties and challenges you may encounter. Every one of us has resilience inside of ourselves; a deep well from which we can draw from and replenish. Resilience looks different for each one of us. Think of building your resilience as a personal journey; experiment and find what works best for you!

Connection with others is at the heart of resilience:

Pick up the phone and call a friend or family member you haven’t spoken to in a while – reconnect!
Find a volunteer opportunity that resonates with you or you are passionate about
Random Acts of Kindness – self-less acts that help or cheer someone up brings happiness to them and increases our inner happiness which fills our well of resilience

MINDFULNESS: Creating space in the day to stop, come down from your worried mind, and get back into the present moment has been shown to be enormously helpful in mitigating the negative effects of our stress response. When we drop into the present, we are more likely to gain perspective and see that we have the power to regulate our response to pressure and stress.

Here is a short practice you can weave into your day to pause, and build your resilience to release any negative judgments of yourself or others that can surface as a result of intense emotions arising from stress: The STOP mindfulness technique creates a Purposeful Pause to calm your mind and bring clarity of your next steps:

S: STOP everything you are doing; hit the pause button and still yourself. Freeze the frame.

T: TAKE 3 slow deep breaths. Focus on the sensations of breathing and feel your body slowing down.

O: OBSERVE yourself and your circumstances. Imagine that you have stepped out of yourself and are observing the situation from the stance of a neutral third party. Be an observer who has a great deal of compassion for you and what you are going through. From this vantage point, what does the observer see?

P: PRAISE yourself in any way you can, small or large. Remind yourself of your strengths. Congratulate yourself for choosing to de-escalate this situation. Then think about what your next step could be now that your mind is calmer and clearer.

SELF-CARE – how many times have you put caring for yourself on the back burner because you are too busy taking care of responsibilities and others or engaging in the misperception that “I am fine” and do not need any help. Self-care is about more than just ourselves. When we engage in activities that promote our well-being, we are better able to care for others and meet all our responsibilities.

Remember the airline instructions of “Put your own oxygen mask on first, so you can help others put on theirs?” Take a moment and give yourself the gift of self-care! What can you do for yourself that will nourish your soul and refuel your energy? Read a good book, take a bath, go for a walk or a bike ride, journal, practice daily gratitude reflection time; how can you afford not to take some time out lift your spirits and sustain your well of resilience?

SELF-COMPASSION and SELF-KINDNESS – How many times during the day do you find yourself judging yourself, critical of yourself and riddled with voices of doubt and unworthiness? The science behind self-compassion supports its importance in building your well of resilience to meet life’s challenges and avoid burnout and exhaustion.

The Loving-Kindness meditation nurtures your self-compassion, bringing forth many positive benefits: feelings of happiness, optimism, stronger connections with others, increased motivation and mastering of your goals, less anxiety, fewer feelings of failure and inferiority, less self-criticism, perfectionism, anger, and close-mindedness.

Here is a link to the guided meditation by the renowned Sharon Salzburg…
https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/loving_kindness_meditation

Stay tuned for Part 3 of this 3-part series which will introduce Mental Fitness as the 'X" factor in increasing your resilience & wellbeing and warding off stress & burnout!

If you'd like to further explore resilience and wellbeing measures to decrease your stress & rise above burnout, let's connect!

Click HERE and to schedule a complimentary call with me!