Adaptability- What It Is, How To Be More Adaptable, Stoic Practices, and Physical Practices
What Is Adaptability?
This is the ability to stay congruent with who you are in any circumstance. It’s also the ability to maintain excellence despite of the circumstance. This take a lot of practice, but can be done. Understand that you are at the foundation of your world. Life doesn’t happen to you, you happen to life.
How To Be More Adaptable
1. Have an anchor
An anchor is something you can hold on to in the face of hard times. Your anchor will set you free because you have a firm place to stand. Those with a why can endure almost any how. When you set goals, you will probably be excited in the beginning, but challenges will enviably come up, and our anchor will help us keep going.
2. Know your why
Knowing your why is akin to knowing your purpose. Why are you doing this? The answer to this question will determine how well you traverse circumstances. This is because it will give you a sense of direction, and have more skills available to adapt.
3. Know your mission
Knowing your mission is key. Having a vision and a mission is very important because it allows you to be free in the face of adversity. It will set you apart from most people because most people don’t know what they want. It starts from dreaming from within. Getting honest, what is it that you really want? With freedom at the forefront, have no mercy toward your goals.
Stoic Practices
1. Introspection
This involves going within and asking empowering questions. Empowering questions lead to empowering answers. How many of us just stop and think? Most of us have a lot of knowledge, but are starving for wisdom. Finding out who you really are and want are very important.
2. Give yourself a space to think
We are inundated with a plethora of information everyday. We have a ton of knowledge, but are starving for wisdom. Rarely do we stop, think, and process what we actually learned. There is a lack of deep thought and devotion to excellence. Be a light, not a shadow. Processing information and applying what we know leads to wisdom.
3. Use The Silence To Sharpen The Mind
The silence will forage the mind to be sharp. This is because the default mode network in the brain goes to work solving problems and clearing up nonsense. When we master the art of shutting the fuck up, you’ll be surprised how wise you become.
Physical Practices
1. Breath work
Breath work is a very powerful tool we can use to have stronger nerves and be calm under chaos. Equanimity helps us make more aligned decisions with our values and have a stronger will.
Breathing exercises-
Alternate nostril breathing
Every 3o minutes to 3 hours, one of our nostrils dilates, and one constricts. Breathing through the left nostril while activate the parasympathetic nervous system, while breathing through the right will activate the sympathetic nervous system. To practice, cover the tight nostril, and breathe through the left nostril. Then cover the left nostril, and breathe out through the right nostril. Hold this same position, then breathe through the right nostril, and out through the left.
Box breathing
Box breathing is a technique that the navy seals use before they go on a mission. it’s designed to decrease arousal, and improve focus. Simply breathe in for a count of 4, hold for 4, breathe out for 4, and hold for 4. Carbon dioxide training
Most of us breath way to much, carbon dioxide training will help us breath less. When your exhale is longer than the inhale, you will increase relaxation, and increase carbon dioxide, which improves circulation. Simply breathe in for the count of 3, and breathe out for the count of 6. Do some variation where the exhale is twice as long as the inhale. Breath holds are also a great way to improve carbon dioxide.
2. Meditation
Think of meditation as brain training. Being able to stay focused throughout the day in a world of distractions is invaluable. Meditation can reduce cortisol, which is your bodies main stress hormone. There are many different forms of mediation, but the most common type is mindfulness. Simply sit quietly where you won’t be disturbed, and observe your thoughts. Do not judge them, just notice them. Being aware of your thought can help you change them, and even still the mind. The more relaxed we are, the more energy we will have for healing the body.
How To Start Meditating
The most basic form of meditation is mindfulness meditation. This is really about observing your thoughts, emotions, and inner landscape without judgement. A lot of people don’t realize what’s going on in their head until they start meditating. Do you best to still your thoughts, it does not have to be perfect. Just because your mind is racing, doesn’t mean that it’s not working, it’s a practice. There are things you can do prior to meditation as well to help with this. Anything that’s going to get you in your body, such as movement, healthy nutrition, or mobility work. This can help remove some of the stress prior to meditation.
Moving Meditation
This can be very beneficial for people who just don’t want to sit still. You will still get a lot of the benefits here as you do in regular meditation. There is a difference between meditation and mindfulness. Meditation is the formal practice, while mindfulness os want you do throughout the day. Sort of like as exercise is to movement. Some movement meditations can be qigong, yoga, walking, or other mindfulness practices you can think of.
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