Resilience
About movement, health, self-discipline, structure, adaptation, resilience and bouncing back
We live in dystopian times.
Almost overnight, freedoms we cherished and perhaps took for granted have been cancelled.
All over the world, strict government measures have forced hundreds of millions of people to stay in one place, businesses have come to a standstill and countless communities plunge into bankruptcy.
Many people struggle with stress, anxiety, depression and despair. How to continue our lives as best as we can?
Movement
Above all, if you are able to move, get moving, wherever you are. By moving, you stimulate your blood circulation, strengthen your heart-lung function and thus influence your mind and feelings. By walking, cycling and swimming you become aware of your body and you gain strength, flexibility and energy.
Health
A sense of well-being is closely related to how you experience your body, your place in the world, the quality of your your contact with your loved ones, friends, neighbours, colleagues and people in general. By practicing a martial art, meditation, yoga, swimming, walking, cycling, running, climbing and/or any other activity, you will be thrown back on yourself.
When you consciously breathe towards your center, located at the point around your navel, then you are centered.
By consciously breathing in and out, you are able to regulate your breathing frequency and automatically increase your alertness, awareness, vigilance, attention and strengthen your health in a playful way.
Self-discipline
Structure is the basis of everyone's well-being. Virtually every person thrives on structure and a sense of order.
Society and life itself are an organic flow and movement, constantly subject to change.
Abrupt changes cause people to lose the ground beneath their feet, their livelihoods, and then fear, alienation and despair lurk, especially when such a situation continues indefinitely.
By getting up early in the morning, creating a fixed ritual of activities and tasks, you create order and space in your system. You can decide what to do. It does not have to be much.
By organising rhythm, rest and regularity, you are able to calm down, and curb the chaos and confusion within yourself and around you. Study, read, practice a handicraft, take care of an animal, enjoy life, laugh exuberantly, sing, dance, be good to your loved ones, hug and look each other in the eye, be kind and care for each other. That counts. That makes a significant difference.
Adjustment
Following the flow of life is an art in itself. Nobody knows what awaits him or her in this sublunary. Fate is uncertain and that is a good thing. Life is an adventure and must be lived. What is essential, what is important, what is it all about? You may live eighty years in prosperity and health, if you are lucky. The ancient Greeks already said: Panta rhei, everything is constantly in motion, nothing ever stays the same. If that is the basic premise of life, it is important to learn to move with the flow of life and not to resist thefate that strikes you. Learn to deal with it and take advantage of it, no matter how harsh and raw it often is. By being flexible and adaptive, you can anticipate changes. Be pro-active so as to increase your chances of survival in an emergency. Don’t wait. Be prepared.
Bounce back
Life is often hard, confronting and harsh. Of course there are people who came to earth under a favourable star. Yet we cannot see from the outside what another person has gone through or is experiencing in terms of resistance and difficulties.
The ability to bounce back from misery is embedded in the thought that you will never give up. However hard and miserable life may be at that moment. By exposing yourself to physical and mental discomfort on a regular basis, you increase your resistance and resilience. Above all, inhale plenty of fresh air every day, get moving, preferably go out on a daily basis and celebrate life!
