Resilience is the capacity to bounce back from difficulties. We all have a resilient person we admire. When we look at them, we respect their ability to not dwell on failures, acknowledge their situation, learn from their mistakes, and then move forward. Have you ever wondered about the thought process they used to develop their ability to hit bottom yet find the mental strength to climb out?
This week we want to share five questions that can begin developing more mental resilience.
Question 1: What is the worst thing that could happen?
Fear of the unknown is one of the most immobilizing emotions one can experience. When you feel like you are uncontrollably falling, how do you know what the bottom is? Not knowing what will happen or what can happen can make anyone feel hopeless and helpless. Facing your worst fears regarding your situation can be a transformative starting point. Most people feel fear but aren’t sure what they are afraid of actually happening. Writing down the worst possible outcome for your situation can bring clarity. Seeing your fears on paper can help you face them. When we try to bury our fears, we don’t understand them or why we have them. Writing them down can help you decipher if they are true or untrue, possible or impossible. It is a great place to begin the process of overcoming them.
Question 2. What is at the root of your fear?
Most fears can be connected to past experiences being projected into the future, self-criticism, or the worry of what others may think about your situation. Once you write them down, you can find which one is your root cause. Taking a moment to examine where your fear originated from will help you devise a strategy to move forward. If your anxiety comes from the validation of others, you can then work on uncovering why you are a people pleaser. If your fear comes from past experiences, you can figure out what happened that makes you think this way. If your anxiety comes from self-criticism, you can work on why you hold certain beliefs about yourself.
Question 3. What is happening at this moment?
When your brain frequently travels into the future, you aren’t allowing yourself to take inventory of what is happening now. If your fear is about an upcoming result that you have no control over, focus on what you currently have control over. Look at the time between then and now and empower yourself to create change in-between that time. Don’t let what might happen keep you from making things happen.
Question 4. What resources do you have right now?
Most people have abilities they do not identify as resources. When people think of resources, they think about time and money. Your brain and talents are resources. You have the capacity to create as long as you can think thoughts and use your talents. Looking at your current resources can help you make a change for your future.
Question 5. What can I do every day to stay in the moment?
When you find that you are always mentally traveling forward in time, work on being present. Staying in the moment is your daily habit to master. You can focus on breath, find ways to savor a moment, journal, become more conscious of your thoughts, or develop habits that bring you back to the present. Check out last week’s post on “Four Tips for Staying Present and Reducing Struggle” for more on being more in the moment
That’s it for this week. Until next time.
The more you practice happiness, the better you become, and the more joyous your days. If you practice living life, you enjoy and understand it a little bit better. To make your happiness a priority, grab one of our journals today!
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