Adversity is a part of our lives. It is easy to fall prey to the pressure and uncertainty caused by it. Many feel sad and unworthy and some resort to harmful solutions such as substance abuse, which further leads to a negative loop of anxiety, depression, and a sense of hopelessness. And this stress has long term implications on your mind and body and affects how one reacts to adversity.
It is important to be aware of and leverage the power of a healthy mind and body, by consciously reviving it, because when nourished properly, this could be the biggest weapon in the fight against any adversity. Contrary to the normal reaction of dealing with adversity, if one can re-think the role of a well-trained mind and an energized body, facing it with an inherent optimism, becomes possible. And here are some simple ways to achieve this.
- Engage in Physical Activity: Mild to intense physical activities have been known to directly impact one’s mood and how one chooses to respond to adversity. Activities could be anything what one likes such as going to a gym, dancing, swimming, running, or walking etc. Apart from energizing one’s body, it also releases feel good hormones that nurture a feeling of optimism and wellbeing, thus helping fight off thoughts of hopelessness, despair, and anxiety.
- Practice Yoga: As one of the oldest and most popular forms of eastern healing and wellness practice, originating in India, Yoga offers a multitude of healing practices for regenerative and preventive wellbeing. From basic yogic techniques, specialised exercises, highly evolved breathing techniques such as pranayama, cleansing and detoxifying practices, meditation, and ayurveda based healthy diet and massage therapies, yoga has been known to re-energize and heal mind and body. Practicing yoga on a regular basis can be transformative.
- Increase Nutrition: One of the most effective ways to revive mind and body and maintain long term health is to have a balanced and nutritious diet because what we put in our bodies eventually become us! There are many ways to improve nutrition for our body such as alkaline diet, herbal diet, fresh fruits, and vegetables, etc.
- Nourish the Soul: While there are many ways to revive and rehabilitate the mind and body, the most effective ones are which come from the soul. Music, Art, Friends, Family, Pets, and doing the things we love the most, helps to not only relieve stress but also helps reinvent the way one thinks, enhance optimistic thoughts, and create memories that can be cherished and be a source of hope for the future. Music especially has been used since ancient times as a tool for rehabilitation, to sooth and promote an overall sense of wellbeing. In recent times though, frequency-based music helps you sleep better and thus assists in alleviating anxiety and stress.
- Reinvent a new life: By letting go of old, non-productive habits, negative thought processes, judgments, discovering new hobbies, focusing on simple and healthy lifestyle, nurturing a flower garden or anything that helps create a sense of reimagining one’s talents to create a more fulfilling life and people who have been holding us back, can be a liberating feeling and helps one in reinventing themselves.
Practicing the above daily can help one to not only overcome adversity but to also transform completely. The pandemic has increased the focus on preventive and regenerative wellness, and it is time that we adopt a long term and holistic approach to health. By experimenting and adopting these simple yet transformative ways one can systematically combat negativity and revive one’s mind and body.
Sameer Bhide is a stroke survivor and an author of an award-winning transformational memoir One Fine Day in which he shares his experiences and lessons learned which helped him overcome his adversities. He wanted to help people facing adversities and found a way to write his memoir while recovering.
Sameer is originally from India and has lived in the USA since 1990. You can connect with Sameer at https://www.sameerbhide.com
