I was just reading an article that could be beneficial. Whether it's your current economic situation, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc., there's no doubt that we live in extremely stressful times and learning ways to make ourselves more mentally resilient is very important. This article isn't anything ground breaking, but it was a good reminder to me of things that I have tried to work on over the years. For example, the first thing on the list is to be optmistic, and I still often catch myself being the pessimist and cynic.

Just a quick outline of the steps to help you thrive in hard times:

• Become more optimistic
• Increase mental agility
• Seek self-awareness
• Self-regulate
• Focus on strengths
• Develop better connections

The article is Steps To Help You Thrive in Hard Times.

being someone who is dealing with hard times the frirst step here is almost imposable. Becomeing more optimistic when you are down is a realy hard thing to do,


seriously one great thing to help you feel optomisitic is to work out, exercise do something physical. They say that working out is a great anti depresant. it also helps that if your working out is strenious enough you will for a short time "escape" the issues. Granted they will be there when you return, but maybe you will have that PMA (postive Mental attitude) and a new way of lookig at things that will help you find light and laughter, or a new way to solve the problem.

Thanks

Great article

One of the techniques I follow to survive hard times is to turn to a list of (to do ) jobs that I have left behind. I pick one job and start doing it. Not only it gives "escape " type of thing, it adds something positive to one's life.

For example, I may re-organize the GHB, or add a few shelves and organize few tools and how-to books on them. Or install/modify some additional storage space. Whatever it is , I see it as an additional "asset" that can only help in bad times. It may help a bit or very much but it definitely adds to the feeling that (NOW!! I am more prepared for what comes).

At the present time, I am making a tiny kart for my 10 years old. Her wheeled-school bag of last year has had several tears and bacame useless. I removed the bag part and kept the frame and wheels. Next I found some plastic container that is about 10x8x6 inches to fix on the frame.

She will use this kart to move canned supplies around the house and help her mom around the kitchen.

Small project, but does wonders to one's psychology.

These steps are all good in "Hard Times" or during a "Wilderness Survival Situation"

Thanks for pointing out the article.

I've read and pondered the article. It is really good advice and written in a very concise and instructive way, IMO.

Your brain and your mental reactions are extremely trainable. Focusing on the 6 bulletpoints from the above article may or may not make you better prepared for coping with the big nasty disaster (hard to tell until that actually happens), but I definitively think it would make riding over life's little bumps and irks a lot smoother. That in itself is worth the effort.