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Ways to Challenge Yourself
Fred Johnson • Mar 15, 2024
Growing Through Discomfort is Challenging.
As discussed in my previous blog post, comfort can be problematic when we use it to resist life’s demand for us to be uncomfortable. Comfort can be a form of avoidance. One of the best things you can do for your mental health is to begin to challenge yourself in ways that initiate growth. While it is perfectly healthy and good to seek rest, recovery, and safety, it is also important to know when it is time to embrace the uncomfortable and grow through it. There are many ways to do this, but here are some steps that can help you on your healing journey!
Challenging Yourself for Growth
1. On a piece of paper, list the challenges that are present in your life now that are contributing to your discomfort, stress, or frustrations.
2. Describe why each of those circumstances listed leads to discomfort.
3. List the ways in which you would need to grow to be able to handle each of these challenges better in the future. Call this list the, “Need to Grow” list.4. Of the “Need to Grow” list, which one would make the biggest difference if accomplished?
- Pick that one and begin to plan how to engage it every day for improvement or growth.
It is at this step many people draw a blank or feel stuck and incapable to change. I find that any measurable action we take towards growth will lead us into more avenues for improving. For instance, you may have read through this and completed the first 3 steps. Then at step 4 you might be thinking, “This guy doesn’t get it. I’ve tried everything. Nothing makes this easier for me.” That is when I would suggest seeking help from a friend or counselor for the area you need help with! By reading this blog, giving it a fair chance, and being honest with yourself, you’ve arrived at a new avenue for improving: seek help to heal and grow. This helps because we are no longer passively coping with the uncomfortable thing in our life but becoming an active participant in change for the good. It's normal to feel uncomfortable about this. Keep challenging yourself for growth. You'll find that the more you do this, the stronger you become and better able to handle hard things.
Arriving at a destination is usually the goal of any road trip. Rarely do we begin a vacation or even drive across town without a reason or a destination in mind. I would suggest that for most of us, we can easily fixate on destinations, accomplishments, or final outcomes. Whether it be a career milestone, personal fitness goals, or social status, we can be easily tempted to constantly look for check-points to know how close we are to our goal. Unlike a road trip or career trajectory, our mental health is not a destination or fixed point. It is certainly not something we arrive at and never have to deal with again. Mental health is a multifaceted and dynamic component of our being. Unlike a destination-driven-goal, we must learn to embrace our journey each day. To practice embracing our mental health journey, a daily activity is helpful. Here’s what I can recommend to effectively embrace the journey of mental health. 1. List 5 positive and affirming statements regarding your mental health. For example, “I am open to healing.” “I am capable of learning.” “It is ok to be well.” Or, “I am beginning my wellness again today.” 2. Each day, pick one of your statements and post on a mirror. Then look yourself in the eye, repeating the phrase for 3 minutes. Study the words, your expression, or the sound of your voice as you say this. 3. Reflect on the impact the positive self-talk had afterward on your mood. It's ok to keep a log of this. Rate it on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being no impact and 5 being great impact. This is a safe and effective way to begin seeing our own mental wellness as a journey and to embrace that as part of life. Rather than enabling feelings of inadequacy and defeat when we are not yet at a perfect destination of mental health, let's embrace the journey as it is. Try this out and who knows, you might prove Mr. Emerson correct that the journey was indeed the destination all along.
In our ever-increasingly-paced world, progress and victories in our mental health and wellbeing is often overlooked and minimized. Yet, our journey towards mental health wellness is one of personal measure. It is a journey marked by seasons of challenge, self-discovery, and an increasing inner strength. Taking a moment to celebrate our progress and growth is not only important, but also vital to continued growth. The greatest gift we may give ourselves in the pursuit of wellbeing, is the recognition and celebration of mental health growth. Here's some guiding ideas on how to celebrate mental health growth in yourself: Reflect on Your Progress : Take a moment to reflect on how far you've come. Consider the challenges you've faced and the obstacles you've overcome. Keeping a journal can be a helpful way to track your growth and reflect on your journey. Celebrate Milestones : Similar to celebrating a career milestone or achieving a personal fitness goal, celebrate your mental health milestones! Completing a therapy session, trying a new coping strategy, or simply getting through a difficult week, each step forward is worthy of recognition and celebration! Treat yourself to something special or engage in an activity that brings you joy to mark the occasion. Share Your Story : Sharing your journey of mental health growth can be empowering both for yourself and others. Usually this can help reduce stigma around mental health and provides a genuine connection between yourself and someone you trust. However you may choose to share your story, know that your voice has the power to inspire and uplift others. Practice Self-Compassion : Be gentle with yourself and recognize that healing is a nonlinear process. There will be ups and downs along the way, and it's okay to embrace both the triumphs and the setbacks as part of your journey. If it was easy, everyone would do it! It takes brave and resilient individuals to look inward with a willingness to grow. One of my favorite running coach phrases I’ve heard along the ways is, “It never gets easier, you just get better.” Life – health - mental wellness journeys, all are challenging and difficult. If you can learn to celebrate your growth and strength, you will get better. Be kind to yourself. Celebrate every percentile of growth you experience in your mental health. You’re the only one of you and that is special. .
With the beauty of spring flowers and new growth naturally occurring all around us, I thought I would share some insights on what is required for growth to occur inside of us! Like plants, we require certain things to grow as a person and to improve mental health. Unlike plants, we have certain powers and abilities to select, change, or seek out the conditions for growth. If you’ve been feeling stuck for a while in your mental wellness journey, read on for some helpful tips. Let’s start with the environment. For any plant to grow, it is partially reliant upon the conditions of the environment. Air and soil temps, moisture and humidity, the amount of direct and indirect sunlight, and even the presence of herbivores in the area all influence what growth will and won’t occur. In us humans, it is good to evaluate: Are we in a growth inducing environment? Do those around me desire good for me? Will other’s pour into my life if needed? Seeking environment that meets your needs can be a critical step in growth. Second, plants require energy from the sun to grow. The miraculous process of photosynthesis allows plans to draw energy from sunlight and convert that into food and resources. It would be nice if we possessed the photosynthesis process as we could all have lunch breaks on sunny days outside and fill up! We do however have the need of energy to grow. Energy can come from many places and interactions. I encourage people to take notice of anytime an activity or interaction leaves them feeling positively energized, rather than drained. Too often, we give and use energy on things that only absorb it from us. If you want to enhance your growth, seek out intentional activities that return your energy. Thirdly, nutrients from soil are required in nearly all plant life. Nutrients are the building blocks of life on earth. Humans are no exception. We need the resources and knowledge on how to handle the many varieties of life stressors thrown our way. What you take into your mind matters. Reading books, listening to podcasts, or talking with a trusted advisor or counselor can be critical nutrients to growth! Finally, water. In plants, water is very often the exact trigger for seed germination and growth. Water is the chemical you and I can’t live without and also can’t have too much of. Water in our life means balance and consistency. When we overindulge in anything, including water, there are risks. One way to initiate growth in our mental health is to find ways to balance in the thoughts or habits that are consuming you. Sometimes talking with a counselor is a great resource for gaining insights on what is delaying growth you seek!
