What is emotional endurance and how do we build it?
Updated: Dec 26, 2022
We live in challenging times. Constantly having to adapt to new pressures, whilst still recovering from the ripple effect of a world-changing global pandemic. Dealing with rising costs of living, the threat of climate change and witness to some terrible atrocities that undermine world peace.
We need to be more resilient and able to process and manage our emotional responses than ever. As parents, employers or leaders we need to be able to offer reassurance and strength to others as well as ourselves.
So how do we build more emotional resilience?
Can physical resilience directly lead to emotional resilience?
Yes!
Psychological toughness is built on a firm platform of physical fitness.
At the same time you train your body to cope with the demands of training, you also train your mind to think positively about the experience.
By experiencing repeated (successful) bouts of physical fatigue, your cognitive processes will follow in the same pattern.
The mind mirrors what the body does, so seeing yourself coping with physical strain, creates subconscious visualisation that you are also emotionally fit and strong.
Giving yourself positive self-talk over time during physical training opens up the neural pathways to allow positive self talk at emotionally distressing times.
So with practise and consistency, emotions experienced during tough situations can be much more quickly and easily changed from dysfunctional to functional…
This is emotional endurance.
And may not solve the World's problems but it could give you the necessary support to face some of the pressures that will inevitably come your way.
Go get some 👊🏼
