Many of us go through tough times at some stage in our lives. You might feel overwhelmed, sad, internally lifeless, hopeless, exhausted, and rudderless. How do you develop emotional strength and resilience at home and in the workplace?
All these feelings are signs that something in your life is out of balance. There’s no need to despair because you can rise above the pain and inertia in your life through inner work.
Firstly, there is no quick fix. Just like learning to swim, you must practice, practice, and practice! Building and reinforcing your emotional strength is a lifelong endeavor.
Here are ten ways to build emotional strength that will last a lifetime:
Assess Where You Are in Life
How do you develop emotional strength at home and in the workplace?
What’s happening in your life right now? Do you feel something is missing in your life? Are you in a job you dislike? Do you have a relationship that seems to be going nowhere? Perhaps you’re trying to move on after a divorce. Or maybe your last child has left home to start their own life.
What inspires you at this moment in your life? What holds you back? What are your dreams for the future?
Set Boundaries
To be a resilient person, you need to have healthy boundaries.
What are your priorities in life? How do you wish to spend your time most effectively? Who are the people that inspire you, encourage you, and you want to associate with?
Be honest with yourself and others about how much time you need to dedicate to different people. What activities and tasks are your priority? Saying no is not a problem; sometimes, it’s vital for your mental and physical health.
Practice Mindfulness or Another Form of Meditation
Find a form of meditation that quiets your mind. There are many types of meditation. Keep trying until you find one that suits you.
One of my favorites is an app called Insight Timer. Numerous applications, websites, and books can help you get started with your meditation practice.
Begin your practice with just a few minutes each day and gradually increase it to twenty to thirty minutes daily. How does this help in building your emotional strength?
Find an Exercise or Activity That Connects You to Your Body
Your body is a reservoir of wisdom. The more you attune to your body’s sensations, the better decisions you can make about how to live your life.
Find a form of movement that keeps you connected to your body, including yoga, tai chi, running, walking, gardening, singing, dancing, or anything else that helps you become more aware of what’s happening in your body.
Surround Yourself with People Who Love You for Who You Are
Who in your life encourages and inspires you? Who makes you feel loved, appreciated, and respected? These are the people you want to spend time with. They will help you build emotional strength.
Take Time for Yourself
To be emotionally strong, you need to carve out time for yourself. Find a friend or family member with whom you can open your heart. Share your greatest fears and hopes with them. Ensure they know how you’re doing each day.
What activities can you do alone that help recharge your batteries? What aids in making you feel good? What keeps you open to your inner wisdom? What helps you relax?
Try Being Vulnerable with Someone You Trust
To build emotional strength, you need to practice vulnerability. To do this, you must first accept the reality of what’s going on inside you.
When you accept how you feel, you can share it with others. Often, you can release much of what holds you back by expressing it to someone else.
Befriend Your Inner Critic
You have an inner critic, and it’s not going away. However, this part of your ego means well. It aims to keep you safe by keeping you within the status quo.
When you notice harsh, loud, belittling, and judgmental inner dialogues, you can recognize your inner critic speaking.
You’ll observe that this voice gets louder whenever you try something new.
You can learn to soothe this part by inviting it to assist you in boosting your emotional strength. Learning to harness this powerful energy within is crucial to finding your purpose and the flow you desire.
Discover the Power of the Enneagram
The Enneagram is a fantastic tool to enhance your emotional strength. It’s a map for personal development that helps you find more peace and connection with life.
Moreover, the Enneagram can aid you in accessing the wisdom from your three intelligence centers: your body, heart, and mind. Grounding in these three intelligence centers will assist in building your emotional strength.
Reach Out for Help
When you feel stuck in enhancing your emotional strength, consider seeking help from a professional coach, counselor, or another healing modality.
Remember, acknowledging that you have issues is a sign of strength and courage. You will be invited to look deeply within yourself. While challenging, this endeavor is worthwhile. You will gain new insights about yourself, ease the process of self-forgiveness, and discover steps to find more joy in your life.
As you learn to connect with your three intelligence centers—body, heart, and mind—you will find more ease and flow in your life.
Remember, this is a lifelong endeavor. As you make inner work an integral part of your daily routine, the flow increases.
By committing to this daily practice, you will gain more emotional strength each day.
You will discover increasingly more ways to build emotional resilience at home and in the workplace.