HABITS THAT HELP ME STAY STRONG

Staying strong is the only way you can get through certain situations in life. This is applicable to all of us irrespective of our age, and gender.

Life is long and we live through various phases which is always trying to change us into a better version of ourselves. As we live this life, we experience many ups and downs but we do not learn from all of it as some of it becomes too much for us to handle.

It is only natural for us to break down from time to time as life keeps testing us with harder tests each time we grow.

I cannot tell you that I have always been a strong person as that would be a lie. There have been times when I have lost sight of who I was and have broken down (especially when I lost my dad). But some habits that I inculcated over the years has helped me immensely to feel and be strong.

These habits have helped and still help me navigate through the curve balls life throws at me with much composure and strength. So, without further delay, here is a list of some of the habits that help me stay strong. If you are curious about what a strong woman looks like you can also read powerful characteristics of a mentally strong woman.

10 HABITS THAT HELP ME STAY STRONG

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1. Having a deep TRUST in the process

No matter where you are, however ugly the situation is that you are facing, just “trust the process”. I believe that we all come into this world to become better version of ourselves. And to make us better, life gives us opportunities in disguise of many bitter experiences.

I strongly believe in my heart that the universe has its way of providing things to us that are of utmost importance for our growth.

This thought process always helps me to stay strong in difficult situations. It helps me understand better that the things happening to me are there to teach me something. So, I accept the situation doing the best that I can with belief in my heart that this process will lead to something beautiful.

2. Giving MY BEST helps me come out strong in any situation

“You do not have to be the best, you only have to do your best and it will surely lead you to the place you want to reach.”

To be able to handle myself with strength in times of crisis I try to DO MY BEST. I try to do this with an understanding that the best I can do on good days may not be the same as the best that I can do on my bad days.

I allow myself to slow down and work without any pressure or judgment from myself.

How much ever it is that I can do at the moment I do that without fretting about the result.

All that I focus on is that whatever I am doing let it be the best that I can at the given moment.

3. Spending some time with my loved ones makes me feel strong

Spending time with your loved ones is one of the most positive habit that you can build in yourself. Many studies have shown that people who spend quality time with friends and family are better at coping with stressful situations.

LOVE is the magic potion that gives us strength to fight our battles.

I feel like the love within me gets refilled when I talk to my loved ones. I feel stronger and more confident after spending some time with them.

This habit helps me immensely to stay strong and have faith in myself.

4. My daily prayers strengthens me from the core

I remember when I lost my dad, I had stopped praying. My faith was shaken and I had lost my faith in GOD. It only made my life worse. I used to feel alone and numb and lifeless.

I wanted to feel the connection with god like I used to, but I couldn’t.

Even when I tried to pray, I felt negative and bitterness as somewhere deep down I knew that I had lost my faith in prayers.

When I shared this with one of my close friends, she suggested that I pray for my faith. She told me to pray and ask god to give my faith back and I did exactly that. And I am glad to tell you that it worked. You see we all need somebody to lean on, to put our faith in, so that we can move forward with confidence. My daily prayers help me stay connected with the good energy and instills in me the strength to face my testing moments more courageously

5. Having a strong self-care routine

There was a time when I thought that these self-care routines were a hoax and a waste of time. I focused on getting more and more things done, being greedy for the time that I had with me.

The irony is that it made me more unproductive and I was unable to handle even a small crisis or hindrance in my routine.

The point that I missed while setting my intention for the day was that life is uncertain. Things does not always go as planned and that is why only some people reach their goals.

You can also check how to set your daily intention for inspiration on planning your day correctly.

Having a strong self-care routine helps me stay calm and positive which helps me handle tough situations more gracefully.

If you feel that you do not have time to spare on elaborate self-care routines, you can have a look at a simple and doable self-care routine that can help you change your life.

6. Staying in silence can help you feel strong

You should try giving the power of speaking less a read if you are feeling skeptical of this point.

The power and calmness that staying in silence gives me is something that I look forward to every day.

I like to practice this when I am ending my day i.e., at night unlike most people who do it in the morning.

For me, I like to end my day mindfully. It helps me wind down while I tell the universe that I am done working for the day and would love to enjoy a good nap.

I offer my gratitude for the day that I just got to live and for the things I got to do and surrender all my worries to the universe. I ask the universe to take care of the things while I provide my body with the rest that it requires and sleep carefree and happy like a child.

7. Exercising makes me strong not only in my body but in my head too

Though physical exercise has been a part of my life for a very long time, since the age of 8 if I have to be specific (as I was enrolled in martial arts class by my father) but it was only later that I understood its impact on emotional health.

You see, as I grew older, I was more inclined towards light exercises, and brisk walks but not anything that made me uncomfortable or my heart pant.

But recently I have started coming out of my comfort zone concerning physical exercise and it has made quite the change in my endurance and tolerance capacity.

When I endure the pain in my thighs while holding my sumo squats a little longer, or when I am shivering but not collapsing while I try to hold my plank position for three seconds more, I feel like I am pushing the limits of my body.

When we endure physical pain it also helps boost our endurance in other areas of our life.

I have noticed that pushing my physical limits from time to time builds in me the tolerance and endurance needed to help me stay strong in difficult times.

8. Limiting my screen time

Have you ever felt agitated or restless just by using your phone too much? Well, I have felt it a lot.

Limiting my screen time helps me focus on my inner world rather than the outer. This helps me stay away from too much useless information and helps me focus on what is important for my well-being and my growth.

It helps me use my time more efficiently so that I may get my important tasks done that contributes to my growth that actually matters.

Limiting my screen time brings a sense of clarity in me which is so important if you want to show up as a strong person.

Some steps that I take to limit my screen time are

• Keep my phone away from my working desk.
• Do each task as mindfully as possible focusing only at one task at a time.
• Turn off the internet on my phone when not in use.
• Not using my phone during my resting hours and especially not in the morning when I need to get my morning routine running.

8. Spending time with myself is a key habit that helps me stay strong

Journaling, meditating, and self-reflection are all some of the exercises that help me spend time with myself. I use this time to reflect on my day and try to recall the feelings that I went through at various moments.

Getting time to spend time with myself makes me feel grounded and humbled. No matter how the day might have been, I always like to bring my thoughts back to its home i.e., myself. This helps me stay detached from all the drama that may be going on around me. It makes me feel that life is greater than all the trivial problems at hand.

This also helps me truly understand my feelings and gives me the opportunity to help myself in the best possible way that I can.

If we don’t spend time with ourselves, we cease to understand our inner self and there is some sort of miscommunication between you and your true self.

This disconnection from ourselves can make us weaker over time and we tend to crumble down in front of minor issues. So, it is always a good habit to spend time just by being with YOURSELF.

10. Practicing MINDFULNESS

You know sometimes the problem that we are facing is not as big as we make it up in our minds. As it is said,

“We suffer more in our imagination than in reality.”

As we magnify the problems in our heads, we get scared just by imagining it to be more powerful than it is. Practicing mindfulness helps me bring myself back to reality and see things as they really are.

It does not mean that you are ignoring your problems but rather that you are acknowledging them without being consumed by it.

Mindfulness is like an anchor for our ship in stormy weather which helps us stay strong and grounded in the present moment.

As Thich Nhat Hanh truly says

“The best way to take care of the future is to take care of the present moment.”

Some of the ways in which you can practice mindfulness are

• Focus on your breath. Just take normal breaths and put your entire focus on the way the air enters and leaves your body.
• Be mindful of the sensations in your body. A fragrance your nose is sensing, the touch of wind on your skin, your muscles relaxing and contracting, your heartbeat etc. put your focus on your body.
• Eat food mindfully. Enjoy your meal without any distractions such as watching movies or scrolling your phone. Give food the respect and attention it deserves while you savor every bite mindfully and gratefully.
• Just listen to one song without doing anything else. No chores, no cleaning, no reading. Just listen to a song.

You can also have a look at 10 ways you can practice Mindfulness in your daily life.

So, this was all for the habits that helps me stay strong when the winds of change hits me hard. I sincerely hope that you will be able to adopt some of it and that it helps you bring out the stronger version of yourself that lies buried inside you. Let the lion WITHIN you rise!

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