As we move through life, navigating the highs and lows, we will undoubtedly encounter adversity. Resilience allows us the ability to recover from difficulties as we continue to strive for a meaningful and healthy life. It might seem like life would be a lot easier if obstacles never crossed our paths, but sometimes it's our toughest moments that bring about growth, gratitude, and perspective. After all, perspective helps us to normalize and find comfort during hard times and experience allows for perspective.
Thoughts are just thoughts, not facts. When you have a thought come up, before engaging with it, first tell yourself, "I am having the thought that..." Our thoughts can impact our mood and behaviors. By putting some distance in between you and your thoughts, you allow space for perspective, reflection, and time to remember that a thought is just that... a thought, not a fact!
Show gratitude. Gratitude helps bring us back to the here and now. This way, we don't get caught up ruminating over things we cannot change in the past or feeling anxious about "what if's" in the future. You can do this by writing down three things you're grateful for today.
Ground yourself. Grounding techniques also help us get in contact with the here and now. You can ground yourself by pointing out three items around you in a specific color (i.e. say out loud three green things you can see right now) and take a deep breath in between each item.
Prioritize sleep. You'll be able to show up for your day with more focus and attention when you get enough sleep. This might mean staying off electronics one hour before going to bed so that you get ample rest.
Have a daily morning routine/ritual. This can help with feeling a sense of purpose, direction, and comfort. For example, start your morning with a to-do list, eating breakfast, exercising, or a meditation. Find what works for you and stick to it.
Have fun! Find things that you enjoy doing. When you embrace work and leisure boundaries you put aside time for work AND something fun. The work will always be there to come back to, but in order to show up for your to-do list successfully, you also need time to recharge. Have a fun activity to do after work in order to give yourself something exciting to look forward to.
