Growing stronger

StrongerGrowing

The Holistic Room’s Ran Janda has been speaking with practitioners about how the pandemic has impacted their ability to practice. Many of the conversations revealed struggles, and at the same time have inspired us…

THE pandemic has caused losses, created new opportunities and forced some of us to pivot into different directions completely. New therapies that can be practised remotely have been learned, some have completely left the industry in order to find something more pandemic proof, while others have decided to take early retirement. The majority have moved their practice online or are waiting for some normality to return.

Learnings

One common theme from every story was the need to go within and find the strength to make tough decisions and figure out how to navigate this unique experience we all find ourselves in.

Most of the practitioners we spoke with have made or are making fundamental shifts in their professional and personal lives to adapt to our new reality. The inspiration we consistently received from these conversations is that in the most extreme challenges, strength and resilience can guide us and make us more compassionate human beings.

The Importance of Resilience

Resilience helps us to navigate challenges in our life and 2020 required a bucket load of resilience from us all. Our dominant thoughts and feelings over the past year act as a measure of resilience. Resilient people view difficult events as a challenge, with the knowledge that it will pass and so will not prevent them from moving forward. They are able to learn the lessons from these challenges and use them as opportunities for growth.

They are committed to their lives, their purpose, their relationships and the people they care about. They have goals which are compelling enough for them to take action and keep moving forward. They are also aware of what they have control over and focus on where they can have the most impact.

Ways to Build Resilience

Resilience is not something you either have or don’t have. Resilience can be learned and should be worked on as a journey, not as a goal to achieve. Here are some ways to develop more resilience through awareness-based tools and exercises which will benefit you both personally and in your practice.

Become more aware of your thoughts, don’t let negative thoughts take hold of your life. One way to keep a regular check on where your mind and thoughts are throughout the day, is to set the alarm on your phone to go off every hour and then just spend a few minutes checking in with yourself. How do you feel? What were you thinking? Switch any negative thoughts to more positive ones.

When you make mistakes, acknowledge them and figure out what you have learned from the situation. Use the learnings to make positive changes in your life. The more you do this, the more it will change how you frame negative situations and bad events in the future.

Choose your response. You can’t always control bad situations, but you can always choose how you respond in every situation you find yourself in. Do you want to react with panic and fear, or would you prefer to remain calm and logical to find a solution? Being able to maintain perspective is a strong attribute in resilient people.

You’re probably sick of hearing the word “selfcare” but taking care of your mind and body allows you to better cope with the challenges you face. Self-care doesn’t need to be complicated, nor does it need to take up a lot of time. It can be as simple as spending 15 minutes each morning observing your breath. It all starts with self-awareness and honouring what you need in that moment. Being able to relax and be present first thing in the morning, can really help set the tone for the rest of the day. Set some goals that move you toward your desires. The goals should be achievable and excite you when you think about them. Then start taking action steps towards your goals. Focus on the progress along the way to help keep you motivated.

Believe in your abilities and build your selfconfidence. Foster the belief that if you keep working on your goals that you will eventually succeed. When you have a strong sense of self, it gives you the strength to keep moving forward and to take the risks to get ahead, despite perhaps feeling some apprehension or fear.

Become more aware of your thoughts, don’t let negative thoughts take hold of your life

Power up your network. The strength of our network has most likely become apparent to most of us over the past year. Did it feel strong and stable? Or did it felt weak and lacking? If it was the latter, find new connections or reconnect with old ones you may have lost touch with. People who have strong relationships and connections are more resistant to stress and are happier as they have a strong support network to fall back on should they need it.

Adopt a flexible mindset. Major global life events can and will happen. Things that we have no control over are always changing and well-made plans don’t always pan out how we envisioned them. Being able to quickly adapt to what life throws at us builds our resilience muscle and allows us to manage challenges with greater ease.

The practice of gratitude is a proven method for enhancing resilience. When you regularly focus on and appreciate the positive aspects of your life, you build resilience over time. Every night before you go to bed, either write down or say to yourself at least 5 things that you are grateful for.

Use your imagination and visualise what you want. Get specific and detailed about envisioning what you want to achieve in your life and in your practice. Want more clients? Visualise a full diary with plenty of clients needing your service!

Navigating Future Challenges

Small daily habits can work wonders in building resilience. It takes work, but the more persistent you are, the more you will be able to navigate future hurdles with more ease.

Now that light at the end of the tunnel is in sight, it’s a great time to assess where you are in life and with your practice. What do you want to achieve? Whether this is back to where you were before the pandemic hit, or somewhere completely different. Now is the time to start setting new goals and taking inspired action towards them.

Write a list of what you want to achieve in the next 12 months, make space for this exercise and set goals that excite you. Take action each day, even if it’s something small that takes five minutes. Every moment you spend on your goals, is one more step to realising them. Always celebrate the small wins along the way, as life is a journey, not a destination. n

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RAN JANDA is the founder of

Holistic Room. HTM readers

looking to grow their practice are invited to join the platform with 6-months free subscription. Sign-up at www.

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Expires May 31st 2021.