As part of our series on resiliencies in middle age, in this blog we look at the value of Physical and Spiritual Resiliencies and offer ways to reinforce your health and mindset as the year winds down.
Nurturing your Physical Resilience means you are making the effort to keep your body strong – eating nutritionally, exercising within your abilities and staying well-rested. However, challenges in your life and at work may negatively affect your health and drain your stamina. We’re often taking care of others during our middle-age years (children, parents, extended family) and providing guidance to friends and colleagues, so be sure to take a step back from day-to-day activities and involvements to assess how well you’re taking take care of yourself. A few questions to ask:
- Am I getting enough exercise and enough rest?
- Am I eating foods that strengthen my body and give me energy?
- Am I taking time to engage in activities I enjoy as a way to recharge my energy?
- Am I allowing myself some downtime, a chance to breathe from all that’s expected of me?
To foster your Physical Resilience in the coming year, develop a plan and touch base with your support networks, including friends, family, colleagues and health professionals, in your quest to tackle stress or recover from physical issues that may be related to injuries, restless nights, seasonal illnesses or family care.
While building Physical Resilience can be a public effort, tending to your Spiritual Resilience may be a more private, personal matter (although one equally important to foster in middle age). Not necessarily religious in nature, a well-grounded outlook and attitude are as important as maintaining your bodily health.
At this point in your life you possess wisdom from lessons you’ve learned and challenges you’ve overcome at work and outside of the office. You’ve likely found the courage to handle setbacks and surprises, and nurtured a sense of purpose as you’ve grown through the years. To strengthen your Spiritual Resilience in middle age, take some time to examine the factors that drive your behaviors, attitudes and outlook in your personal and professional lives.
Some thoughts to consider:
- What currently guides me toward a deeper sense of myself and my role in life? Examine the values, activities and relationships that currently give you focus, energy, emotional strength, stability and direction. Resolve to bolster those aspects of yourself in the coming year.
- How can I continue to develop and maintain deeper connections in my work and my life? Learn about mindfulness or meditation techniques, reflect on rituals that are important to you – ones that help you feel safe, calm and connected to a “bigger picture” – and work to share or delegate responsibilities with others.
- Do I practice self-forgiveness and self-discovery? Middle age is a time when individuals may grapple with unmet expectations or disappointments that can lead to undeserved self-criticism. Remember life doesn’t progress in a straight line: learn how to practice self-compassion, understand what drains you or energizes you, and give attention to activities, hobbies and other aspects of life and work that you excel at and enjoy. Pursue ways to adopt an outlook that keeps self-judgement to a minimum.
Middle age can be a particularly demanding time of life, but The Humphreys Group wants all of our clients to enter the New Year feeling their physical best and confident in their abilities to make reflective decisions in their lives, work and finances. With 2019 approaching, we are here to support your endeavors and help you explore strategies that best address who you are today as you make your plans for tomorrow.
