Resilience – michelletroxell.com

Pay Attention: Mindfulness in a Nutshell

Michelle — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 21:13:49 +0000

What is mindfulness?

What comes to your mind when you read this question?

Do you use mindfulness, or do you think it may be complicated?

First, I will tell you what mindfulness is not.

It is not the same as meditation, although it can be a part of meditation practice. It is not "clearing your mind." Mindfulness is not only something for monks or Buddhists, although they do use it. It does not need to take a lot of time, a few moments here and there is a great place to start.

You have all you need to practice mindfulness already within you. You do not need any special equipment, and it is available to us anytime we choose.

If you are not currently in practice, being mindful may take a little getting used to, especially in today's world when multi-tasking seems to be the preferred way of being. The fast-paced world we live in is one great reason the practice is more critical to our wellbeing now than ever before.

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present. In fundamental terms, it is paying attention. Mindfulness is a great tool to improve your focus, your relationships, health, and wellbeing.

Some examples:

to practice mindfulness when you are bathing or cleaning your home, you can focus on the water, how it looks, and how it feels? You can concentrate on the cleanser or soap, the areas you are cleaning, the cleanser's scent, the feel of the surface you are cleansing.
when playing with your children, be fully present, use all your senses. What are you hearing, seeing, feeling, sensing, smelling?
When you are eating a meal or having a drink, slow down, take it all in, experience it with all your senses. What do you hear, see, taste, feel, smell?

The practice of mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety.

Practicing mindfulness while eating has been shown to improve digestion, feelings of satisfaction and reduce times of overeating.

Being fully present with our children has increased the parent-child bond, increases the child's self-esteem, and reduces feelings of overwhelm in the parent.

Some Key benefits of Mindfulness:

Reduce stress.
Reduce anxiety.
Reduce blood pressure.
Improve sleep.
Improve digestion.
Improve bonding and relationships.
Improve mental wellness.
Improve wellbeing.
Improve focus.
Reduce distractions.
Reduce worry.
Improve self-esteem.

Mindfulness is a practice that is available to us any time of day or night, wherever we are.

It is the moments of bliss while holding a hot cup of tea and looking out at the sunrise, watching the colors as they first start to appear and change out of the night sky. It is noticing the sounds of birds chirping "good morning" and smelling the scent of the grass that is wet with dew, feeling the chair I am sitting on, and noticing the feel of the breeze on my cheek. This is one of my favorite times to practice.

Have you been using mindfulness in your own life? If not, are you willing to give it a try?

Maybe think of it as a thought experiment. It is called a practice for a reason; it will never be perfect. Some days it is easier to get into exercise, and some days it may feel like it is not working. The very fact that you are trying the practice means it is working. The practice is the point of it all.

What are some thoughts or observations you have on the topic? I'm interested to hear anything you'd like to share.

Resilience-One Silver Lining from 2020 to be Thankful for.

Michelle — Sat, 09 Jan 2021 05:16:37 +0000

2020 has shown us so much. Much of which we would rather forget. One of my big takeaways from 2020 has been the resilience shown in all of us.

Resilience, bouncebackability, and stick-to-itiveness are some of my favorite traits to empower in others and myself.

It's been said that adversity builds character, but I heard early in the pandemic that while that may be true, more importantly adversity REVEALS character. We get to show what we are truly made of. There was so much good that was shown in this past year, even when others are hurting, so many still raised out their hands to help others.

We are all resilient. We are still here. It used to be thought that people were either resilient or they weren’t. We now know that we all carry this trait in varying degrees, and there are ways we can all increase our resiliency (Action for Happiness, n.d.).

How to increase our resilience

There are some life skills, we can strengthen by taking actions that impact our resilience. When we consciously work to increase these actions, we can increase our resilience (Chopra, 2020).

Acceptance of emotions, whatever they are. When we accept our emotions, they come and go like waves. When we try to suppress the “negative” emotions, they simmer under the surface, but do not go away.
No self-judgement. This increases the likelihood of not judging others, as well.
Have higher self-esteem.
Have a purpose in life.
Support others and in turn feel supported.

When we increase any of the above skills, we can increase our resilience. If we could only increase one of the above, I would have to pick number 1, acceptance of our emotions, as this impacts the other 4 greatly. When we don’t accept our emotions, we tend to have lower self-esteem, forget our life purpose, do not support others and we tend to judge. All of these skills can be taught and learned.

If you would like to explore how you can exercise your resilience muscle, and other valuable skills today, check out the resources page and e-book. You can also receive a free 1:1 strategy session to explore what skills you’d like to focus on first.

Find ways to bounce back. https://www.actionforhappiness.org/10-keys-to-happier-living/find-ways-to-bounce-back/details.

Chopra, D (Host). (2020, December 31). How to Bounce Back Better than Ever. Now for Tomorrow [Audio podcast]. episode. Retrieved from Spotify

Top 10 Powerful Quotes to Help you Overcome Adversity

Michelle — Fri, 08 Jan 2021 14:46:19 +0000

I live by mantras and quotes. They truly come in handy when in times of challenge.

I've learned to accept adversity as a sign that I am on a path to growth.

It's through these times when we overcome adversity that we learn the most about ourselves and our resilience. Each time we make it through a tough time, we emerge stronger. We can then draw on that strength when the next test comes up, as it always will.

Here are my top 10 quotes for dealing with adversity and building resilience:

As with the butterfly, adversity is necessary to build character in people.

∼Joseph B. Wirthlin

Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can come together.

∼ Marilyn Monroe

Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.

∼Napoleon Hill

Nothing is impossible, the word itself says "I'm Possible"!

∼Audrey Hepburn

All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me...You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world to you.

∼ Walt Disney

We have no right to ask when sorrow comes, "Why did this happen to me?" unless we ask the same question for every moment of happiness that comes our way.

∼Author Unknown

One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity.

∼Albert Schweitzer

Smooth Seas do not make skillful sailors. ∼African Proverb

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: The last of human freedoms-to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.

∼Viktor Frankl

We don't develop courage by being happy every day. We develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.

∼ Barbara De Angelis

These are 10 of my favorites. I challenge you to find ones that really speak to you.

When you find those quotes that that return your spark, repeat them as needed to yourself

to give you the push you may need.

Write your favorite quotes where you can see them and refer to them often.

Feel free to use some of the ones I've chosen here.

We grow through the times of adversity, not when we are comfortable.

Please leave me your thoughts and leave me some of your favorite quotes, as well.

I love to know what moves you.

Be well

(reposted, edited from my first blog, lifeonporpoise.net)