I recently started working with a physical therapist to build back the strength I lost during my pregnancy.
In my initial test she said my strength was good, but after about 4 reps or so, it vanished.
She told me that strength isn’t my problem, endurance is.
In the days following I started noticing the lack of endurance in almost everything I did. Not just physically, but emotionally.
I would start the day energetic, excited, and optimistic. But by 3pm I was exhausted, frustrated, and irritable.
And it wasn’t just the day-to-day grind that would challenge my endurance, but the hard things in life too.
When my faith was challenged, I noticed a real lack of endurance there too – I could handle it for a little bit, but then I’d start to shake…
As I noticed these areas of weakness, I started to wonder what the solution was. If endurance was my problem, the answer was simple: strength train.
My Physical Therapist had explained to me that when we strength train it is so we can start at a 10, and as we use our muscles and get tired, we may end up around a 6. When we don’t strength train, we start at a 6 and end up much lower.
When we think about getting stronger, we rarely consider building emotional and spiritual strength as well. But, the truth is, we are holistic beings made up of three parts: mind, body, and soul. Each equally important, and crucial to our happiness.
When we leave part of our being neglected, we feel it.
So how do we build emotional or spiritual endurance?
We show up and put in the work…
We practice climbing up the emotional scale when little irritants creep in throughout the day.
We practice breathing through the pain in moments of stress or frustration.
We practice positivity and optimism.
We practice shifting our perspective.
We practice owning who we are and speaking our truth.
The key word here is PRACTICE.
As I’m writing this my son is sitting next to me singing a song he learned from a TV show, “When something is hard to do, try it a little bit at a time.” Perfect timing my love…
We must give ourselves grace when things get heavy and we’ve run out of momentum, and then, we try again.
Like any sport or new skill, consistency is key. The more we show up and are willing to push ourselves, the more progress we’ll make. The more strength and endurance we'll build.
You may start to notice it in the little things that suddenly aren’t so difficult anymore...
You may notice that you don’t start the day angry anymore.
Or, you may realize that you're able to talk ourselves through things that used to set you off.
Eventually you'll realize that you aren’t starting at a 6 anymore, but a 10.
And you deserve nothing less.
Wishing you a wonderful week.
With love and gratitude,
Robin
Ps – need help getting started?
Book a 1:1 session with me and start this month with a customized emotional strength training plan that will help you feel happier, calmer, and ready for whatever comes you way.