Mental Toughness Tip: “We can build mentally strong minds by increasing our focus on positive emotions such as joy, gratitude, and hope.” Source
Make time and space to blow off steam. What do you do to decrease stress? Whether it’s meditation, journaling, walking, or something else, make a daily habit of doing something proactively to manage your stress. Source
Note: You know what happens when a tea pot begins to boil, it lets off steam. If there were no escape outlet for the steam, the tea point would eventually explode. We witness this happening in tragic human events across the globe. We can find a healthy way to lower the temperature reducing stress and at the same time provide ourselves with some health benefits. Walking, jogging, or any other physical activity is a good choice.
One thing is certain about life, the tough times don’t go on forever. How we navigate through them tests our character and determines the happiness we experience. We can, during those tough moments, be an example to those who see us. We can show them we have grit. We can keep on grinding until we make it through the tough times. You are tougher than your tough times. Ten times tougher, maybe 1000 times tougher. Don’t let them get you down. Stay strong, push on ahead.
Recognize Signs of Stress ~Physical symptoms like headaches, tight muscles, or digestive issues can indicate stress overload. Prioritize relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or walks in nature.
No one has a pressure free life. Stressors come at us from every possible angle. They come from relationships in and outside of immediate family. The come from work. There are financial stressors. Do you feel your jaw tightening simply by reading these words? It’s a good idea to do a body scan several times a day. It can be done quickly. All you’re doing is looking for signs that your stressed. As the health tip suggests, find time where you can chill, not talking hitting the bar for a few drinks, do something physical, e.g., run, walk, swim, lift weights. Do yoga or meditation. Make a visit to your house of worship and sit quietly. They’re lots of things you can do to lower the speed on the stress meter.
YOU! Watch out for that word if you are trying resolve a conflict. When we start saying you when we’re in a conflict situation it’s often viewed as if we’re attacking the other person. Once finger pointing starts, the problem is forgotten and replaced with blame attribution. When the parties to a conflict situation can set aside “who’s to blame or who’s at fault they can focus on the real issues and collaborate to resolve them. I know it’s difficult, especially if we believe we’re in the right. Being right, doesn’t always lead to the best solution. Tell the ego to take a break.
We’ve got to do lists. We have check lists. We have reminders we can schedule on digital equipment We are easily trapped into a got to, got to, got to mentality. A got to mentality robs us of our peaceful mentality. When we’re moving from one task to the next and thinking of the tasks yet to come we leave no space for ourselves. Think of the tasks that lie ahead and ask, “which of these are essential? Which can wait? Which can be discarded or postponed? Free mental space up for yourself. Don’t surrender this space. Your emotional and physical health depend on you securing that peaceful space. Here’s a hint, your stomach is often an early warning alarm that what your are doing is upsetting your equilibrium. If your stomach is screaming at you, it may be time to think about strategies that tone down the task that is causing your stomach to sound the alarm.
Manage stress: Practice relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, or deep breathing.
I’m a pretty much laid back guy. It’s probably why south Texas appeals to me. It has a nice laid back feel to me. It wasn’t always this way with me. There was a time when I was traveling at warp speed (note the reference for Star Trek fans). I went on a silent retreat to a Benedictine monastery. I was there two hours and knew it was a mistake. I had to make it to Sunday noon. I didn’t think it was possible to be quiet that long. Surely these monks didn’t understand the importance of noise and chaos in one’s life. Surprise, surprise. By the time Sunday noon rolled around I’d experienced a deep sense of personal peace. I was beginning to discover what was important and what wasn’t as important as I thought it was. My life changed.
I’m writing this post on Sunday afternoon (the Sunday before Christmas). I go to early mass (8 a.m.) On the way into mass this morning a guitar player was rushing across the lawn carrying her guitar. I waited by the door to hold it open for her. Well, Father L was nearby and waved. I waved back. The guitarist smiled at Father L and came rushing past me. I said, “Good morning.” She answered, “Father saw me. I’m late.” I answered, “Busted, but I’ll cover for you.” I thought she’d laugh. No, she disappeared into the church to join the music group. Funny how little things can upset us and make our stomachs twirl. In the whole scope of one’s life can the world’s greatest scientists using the world’s most sophisticated instruments measure the importance of her being five minutes late for practice? I thank her for the lesson. Some things are not worth giving a second thought. Don’t let then get hold of you.
You may labor your fill, friend of mine, if you will;
You may worry a bit, if you must;
You may treat your affairs as a series of cares,
You may live on a scrap and a crust;
But when the day’s done, put it out of your head;
Don’t take your troubles to bed.
You may batter your way through the thick of the fray,
You may sweat, you may swear, you may grunt;
You may be a jack-fool if you must, but this rule
Should ever be kept at the front: —
Don’t fight with your pillow, but lay down your head
And kick every worriment out of the bed.
That friend or that foe (which he is, I don’t know),
Whose name we have spoken as Death,
Hovers close to your side, while you run or you ride,
And he envies the warmth of your breath;
But he turns him away, with a shake of his head,
When he finds that you don’t take your troubles to bed.
I can give things for Christmas, and I do. Things are important, not so much for the thing I give, but for the symbolism of the giving. When I give a gift it symbolizes that the person receiving the gift is important to me. Receiving a gift is much more important than the giving. If I focus on the thing I get as a gift, chances are I’ll be disappointed. It doesn’t fit. I don’t like the color. I don’t need this, etc. That may all be true. Another way to look at is, for each gift we receive, someone took the time to think of us. Being thought of is a powerful action. It means that I see you and I want to share something with you. It is a recognition of our deeper human connection. On Christmas day when I am with my family and I open a gift and feel my daughter and her family looking me, I’ll say as I open it, “Ah, I love it, a sweatshirt with a large dinosaur on front and its tail on the shirt’s back. It’s what I’ve always wanted.” I’ll slip the sweatshirt on, it may be the only time I wear it. Merry Christmas. Spread the joy and love and peace.
