Happy June! Would you join me in a small challenge? It costs nothing and doesn’t take much time, I promise.
You see, I have learned a lot in the past few years about the higher stress times of the year (generally speaking) and for most people summer has a little less calendar-induced stress. School years end, even work schedules slow a bit as response times have a little more lag and people offer each other a little more understanding. Now, for all my amazing camp people – this is challenge is NOT for you. I’ll catch you in the fall! 😊
For everyone else though, every time I write about finding resilience around back-to school, or the holidays or the dark of winter or tax season (you get the idea) I’ve thought, “We should be thinking about prevention when things are easier, not only rescue when things are rough.”
And so launched my idea of a Summer Strengthening Challenge. This is not about your rectus abdominus muscles (abs) – it’s about your resilience! Once a month I’m going to send out a quick challenge – thing you can do now that will help you out later. I’ll do it myself and I hope you’ll do it too!
Summer Strengthening Challenge for June: Finding Options
Knowing how to find options makes you more likely to successfully navigate change (be resilient) but it takes practice. Our brains want to go with the first idea we (or anyone) names. Think of the last time you ordered food with people and had to pick a restaurant – chances are you went with the first place someone suggested. But if that one had been closed, you’d have had a harder time getting to eat when you wanted to without backup options. So here’s my challenge for you:
Instructions: The next time you need to make a simple choice – what music to listen to, what to eat, what you’ll do for the evening, don’t pick until you’ve named three possibilities. THEN pick from those.
That’s it! Just that practice in giving yourself three options before choosing will improve your resilience. And if you do it, will you tell me about it? I’d really appreciate it!
All my best,
Dr. G
