CROSSFIT SUFFOLK ** Forging Elite Fitness
Rest Day
Courtesy of The DailyCamera.com (Boulder, CO based):
Too tough? CrossFit draws praise and criticism
Courtesy of BigMedicine.ca:
A motto of several CrossFits and coaches is "CrossFit makes you harder to kill". True. The reason is CrossFitting makes you, amongst other things, more resilient. Thanks to good friend and fellow crossfitter, Jeff Chudwin, for sending this article.
http://www.bigmedicine.ca/stevencrimando.htm
VIEWS: STEVEN CRIMANDO
[Nov 10 2008]
Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity. It allows us to
recovery from change or hardship, as individuals, families, communities and
organizations. Resilience encompasses both strength and flexibility. It is
associated with elasticity, buoyancy and adaptation. All of the attributes of
resilience would seem essential in the current climate given market volatility
and the unpredictability of global economic conditions. This issue of the
Behavioral Risk Bulletin will focus resilience, its importance and strategies
for building and enhancing resilience in times of crisis.
Aristotle, once
said; "You are what you repeatedly do." What you do repeatedly through
thoughts and actions eventually become your habits. Some theorists feel that
resilience is a trait, inborn, hardwired into our being, that it is an innate
aspect of our personality. Others suggest that resilience can be developed.
Advances in brain science tell us that what you think and how you think can
influence the actual anatomical structure of the brain, as well as
neurocircuitry and neurochemistry.
This concept, known as "neuroplasticity" suggests that despite earlier
ideas that our habits, thoughts and beliefs are set in stone, that in fact you
can teach old dogs new tricks. The brain continues to grow, change and adapt to
challenges across our entire lifespan. Our thoughts shape our brains as much as
our brains shape our thoughts. This relationship is now known to be a two-way
street. We can use this knowledge to promote resilience in ourselves and in our
organizations.
What Does Resilience Look Like?
Resilience is defined by
several cognitive, emotional and behavioral markers. How an individual acts when
confronted with sudden change or adversity helps us see resilience in action, it
is observable. Resilient people demonstrate flexibility, durability, and the
ability to organize and manage ambiguity. These individuals tend to be proactive
rather than reactive, to have an attitude of optimism and a mindset that is open
to learning. The resilient person is positive and views life as challenging but
full of opportunities.
These may sound like personality traits and some may be, but that does
not mean that individuals cannot develop resilience. By identifying and
practicing these behaviors individuals can build or bolster resilience in
themselves and support resilience in others around them.
Ten tips for building resilience
Becoming more resilient is a process and requires conscious effort and a
degree of patience. Fostering resilience as an element of an organization's
culture requires even greater patience and consistent positive reinforcement
from leaders. These efforts can pay off in meaningful ways but you are not
likely to be able to reap the rewards of resilience without some significant
effort. These tips can help you move to a higher degree of resilience in the
face of current and future challenges:
1. Accept Change: Change is
constant and inevitable. Some even say it is cyclical and foreseeable to a
degree. Successful people accept change rather than resist it. Actively seek
ways to become more comfortable with change.
2. Become a Continuous
Learner: Many people resist learning new ways, cling to old behaviors and
skills even when it becomes obvious that they don't work anymore. Focus on
learning new skills, gaining new understanding and applying them during times of
change.
3. Take Charge: Don't wait for someone else to lead the
way, it may not happen. Instead embrace self-empowerment and take charge of your
career and your own personal development.
4. Find Your Sense of
Purpose: A clear sense of purpose helps you assess setbacks within the
framework of a larger perspective. Develop a "Personal Why" that gives your work
meaning or helps you put it into a larger context.
5. Pay Attention to
Self-Identity: Form your personal identity apart from your job. A job is
just one facet of your identity, and a career just one aspect of your life. To
achieve some degree of resilience be sure to separate who you are as a person
from what you do for a living.
6. Cultivate Relationships:
Personal relationships can be a strong base of support and a critical element in
achieving goals, dealing with hardships and developing perspective. Develop and
nurture a broad network of personal and professional relationships as a
component of your resilience-building strategy.
7. Reflect:
Whether you are riding a wave of success or riding out hard times, make time for
reflection. Reflection fosters learning, new perspectives and a degree of
self-awareness that can enhance your resilience.
8. Skill Shift:
Reframe how you see your existing skill set, consider transferable skills and
develop new skills when possible. Questioning and perhaps even changing your
definition of yourself or your career can lead to higher levels of
resilience.
9. Develop Emotional Intelligence: Think creatively
and flexibly when under stress. Focus on the future and gain strength from new
opportunities that may present themselves. Expand rather than shut down when
faced with a challenge.
10. Take Care of Yourself: It can be
difficult to find the time, energy, enthusiasm or even the money to take care of
yourself during tough times. Letting yourself become run down contributes to the
problem rather than the solution. It is more important than ever to eat well,
exercise and practice relaxation during times of high stress. Spend time with
family and friends and regularly plan and enjoy fun
activities.
Pulling It All Together
Resilience allows us to
bend rather than break during stormy conditions. Being or becoming more
resilient is a necessary survival strategy in unpredictable times. Working
slowly but consistently toward greater resilience can help fortify you and your
organization and help you weather this and other crises on the
horizon.
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