Fortunate to be inconvenienced

So many things come to mind just at the mention of 2020.

It is a year that all of us will look back on with a clear before and after.

It is a transformative time on every level and I have not met anyone who has not been affected in some way or another.

For some, staying at home and quarantining is an “inconvenience” and there is a restlessness of wanting the freedom to browse at stores, go out to dinner, vacation in places that you have to fly to.  For others, quarantining at home, has meant adapting to work and take care of children at home, creating a workspace and time for Zoom meetings, ordering groceries, worrying about how your children are adapting to being isolated from their friends and routines.  And for others, it’s coping with the loss of a loved one, job loss, reduced hours, food scarcity that intensifies with school closures, fear of losing a home. 

Data shows that women are bearing the burden of all the changes—the childcare, the housework, the schooling.  I have been thinking about all these women.  I have been inspired to be of assistance because I am fortunate to be in the group that is “inconvenienced”.

What is it that I can do to make a contribution?

I can help women learn to be resilient, to help women explore what tools they already have to be resilient and what tools that can be added to continue to develop resilience.

Because developing resilience is the best defense for building immunity, for getting and staying healthy—physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually.  And because women are bearing the burden of this seismic shift, women cannot afford to neglect their health.  We have to shift our mindset and the conditioning we’ve grown up with and recognize that self-care is not selfish.

So let’s explore resilience…

Psychologists define resilience as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress — such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors. (the definition of 2020). There are many aspects of your life you can control, modify and grow with. That’s the role of resilience. Becoming more resilient not only helps you get through difficult circumstances, it also empowers you to grow and even improve your life along the way.

While certain factors might make some individuals more resilient than others, resilience isn’t necessarily a personality trait that only some people possess. On the contrary, resilience involves behaviors, thoughts and actions that anyone can learn and develop. The ability to learn resilience is one reason research has shown that resilience is ordinary, not extraordinary.

In researching developing resilience, I found several ways to “categorize” building resilience and lots of practical things to do within each category.  The beauty of it is that YOU get to decide which practical things resonant with you and will help you develop resilience.  There is NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL which to me gives permission to explore and try on the behaviors or work with the new tool.

The most common categories are Wellness, Connection, Healthy Thinking and Meaning.

Like building a muscle, increasing your resilience takes time and intentionality.

Over the next few months, I will be focusing on and introducing tools around Wellness, something I am well-equipped to teach.  I will also talk about making Connections, finding Meaning and Healthy Thinking backed up with the best evidence.

Again, I am humbled as my service to you aids me building my own resilience--serving you gives my life meaning and purpose, working with you builds connection and community.  I check in when my thoughts become negative and shift them back to my purpose here and teaching Wellness is my happy place.

Yours, in service,

Nancy