How to Beat Back Stress and Build Your Resilience
Stress affects everyone in life, from the poorest to the wealthiest and most successful among us. And as the world gets more technologically advanced, it seem our lives are only getting busier and more stressful. The American Institute of Stress reports that as many as 44% of adults in the United States feel that they are more stressed today than they were approximately five years ago. Around 20% of all American adults experience more severe symptoms that are associated with stress, such as heart palpitations and shaking. And at least 75% of all doctor visits are directly or indirectly related to stress.
An inability to deal with stress effectively can lead to symptoms of depression, which in turn has been associated with numerous health risks, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, and substance abuse linked to illegal drugs, tobacco products, and alcohol. Learning how to manage stress and bounce back quickly has a significant impact on your life. Becoming resilient, which is a term used to describe a set of skills that allow a person to adapt to certain situations that involve tragedy, trauma, adversity and other stressors, is an excellent way to take back control of your own life and to manage your stress more efficiently.
How Reduce Stress and Build Resilience
In this article, we would like to share some essential tips, exercises, and resources that you can utilize to help you on your journey to becoming resilient, so you can learn to bounce back from stressful situations and successfully adapt to the circumstances in your life that may induce stress. These tips are practical, easy-to-implement and highly effective.
Focus on the positive things in life
When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.- Helen Keller (read more quotes)
When stress overthrows our lives, we tend to focus on the negative things that these stressful situations bring about. Unfortunately, seeing only the negative side of situations won't do you any good. The negativity will keep building up, which will only increase the stress and unpleasant emotions you are experiencing. Instead of focusing only on the negative attributes that are causing you to stress more, you should try to look at the positive side of things as well. Don't limit yourself to the positive aspects of the particular situation you are in, but also try to think about the positive attributes of your life, and use them to help improve your mood. Being positive in life has many benefits, including the ability to reduce your stress levels, which can help to enhance your mental health and even assist with improving memory, boosting your mood, and increasing your ability to perform mentally challenging tasks.
Turn stressful situations into educational resources
When you are faced with a particular situation that causes you to stress, you should not only try to think of the positive attributes related to the case but also consider what is happening as an educational resource. Learning from your own mistakes is one of the most efficient ways to improve yourself and become better at life. A stressful situation may not be of your own making; thus you shouldn’t only focus on what mistakes you might have made to cause it, but also on the particular details of the case. There are often many lessons to be learned that will help you to better tackle similar situations in the future.
Think of difficult circumstances as a challenge
Circumstances do not make a man, they only reveal him to himself.– Epictetus
Severe conditions can be troublesome and hard to overcome. When you're in such a situation, it can seem like a neverending cycle of stressful events, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Instead of focusing on how difficult a situation is, try to transform the particular situation into a challenge that you need to overcome. Remember that overcoming challenges is an excellent way to grow as a person. You can turn hardship into a great opportunity by keeping a cool head, thinking of the situation in a different way, ignoring the usual rules, and anticipating potential outcomes.
Accept your own flaws
People often believe that they have to be perfect in every aspect to succeed in life. They perform random acts of kindness for others to help them overcome their flaws, but they expect themselves to have no flaws at all. The truth is that no one has ever been truly perfect. Thus, you should not be too harsh on yourself and expect to be perfect at everything you do. Accept that you have flaws, just like everyone else, and then try to think of them as features that make you unique. Accepting yourself and your flaws can be empowering, help you experience freedom, and contribute to greater happiness.
Stop questioning yourself
When we are overwhelmed with stress, we often have a tendency to doubt ourselves excessively. While it is important to reflect on the problems and come up with the effective strategies to resolve them, you should try not to overthink things. This will lead to a constant debate inside of your head, which will cause you to start questioning yourself. Overthinking the problem usually won't solve it, but instead will only add more stress to the current situation.
Conclusion
Stress can be a barrier between you and your best life, and can lead to depression and a host of other health issues. Managing stress and building up your resilience is a crucial life skill that will enhance your ability to mitigate stressful situations and bounce back quicker each time.
Military Dad Defends His 4 Little Daughters When Strangers Make This Rude Remark
Military Dad of 4 Daughters Defends His Girls When Strangers Make This Rude Remark
Austin von Letkemann is the military officer strangers feel "sorry" for — and the reason is infuriating.
Whenever the devoted father leaves the house with his four children, strangers can't help but notice the officer in uniform is holding hands with 4 adorable little girls. They will tell the traditionally "masculine" and "all American" dad they feel sorry for him, because he has no sons. This dad makes one thing very clear: They are his daughters, they aren't a burden.
In a passionate video, von Letkemann took to Instagram to share with his followers that the only thing that's "difficult" about being a girl dad — is clapping back to these sexist remarks over and over again.
They Mock His Daughters To Their Face
When strangers approach Austin von Letkemann and his four daughters, they don't always realize that their comments are being overheard. They seem oblivious to the fact that his girls understand every word. Von Letkemann describes how people will approach him and, without thinking, make remarks like "I'm sorry" or even joke about his lack of sons. What they don't realize is that these comments, intended to be light-hearted or humorous, can be deeply hurtful to his daughters. These strangers are not just disrespecting von Letkemann's choices as a father; they're also sending a message to his daughters that their presence is something to be pitied. It’s a message that von Letkemann won't stand for, and he's speaking out to defend his girls from these insensitive remarksSaying "Get Your Shotgun" Isn't Funny — It's Sexist
Another common comment that Austin von Letkemann encounters is the old "better get your shotgun ready" trope, often delivered with a smirk or a wink. This line is typically intended to suggest that a father with daughters should be on high alert to protect them from potential "suitors," implying that they are objects to be guarded rather than individuals with agency.
Von Letkemann finds this line of thinking outdated and sexist. In his viral Instagram video, he points out that these jokes are not just stale — they're damaging.
By suggesting that his daughters require armed protection, the joke reinforces the idea that women are inherently vulnerable and need to be shielded from men. Von Letkemann argues that instead of promoting this narrative, society should focus on teaching respect and consent, challenging these sexist tropes at their source.
Watch Austin von Letkemann's Video:
"If I Had A Fifth Child, I'd HOPE It Was A Girl" — One Dad's Message For Other Parents
Despite the constant remarks about his lack of sons, Austin von Letkemann is clear: He wouldn't trade his daughters for anything.
In fact, he told his Instagram followers that if he were to have a fifth child, he would hope for another girl. This declaration isn't just about doubling down on his pride in his family — it's a pointed response to those who see fathering daughters as a misfortune.
Von Letkemann's stance is a powerful one, rejecting the notion that a family is incomplete without sons. He encourages others to question the assumptions behind these comments and to appreciate the joy and fulfillment that his daughters bring. By sharing his story, von Letkemann hopes to create a more inclusive perspective on fatherhood, one that values daughters just as much as sons.