THE ART OF ENCOURAGING YOURSELF

5 Tips that will help you get through rough moments

Each day we deal with a number of people and situations that may or may not be in our favor. We take feedback wanted and unwanted, try to learn from everyone and do our best to engage with character and substance. Yet with all we do to show up in our best light there may be many times that the people and voices around us may not be able to lend any support or an encouraging word. It is in moments like these that we need to know the art of encouraging yourself. Here are some tips to help when you need to dig deep for your own voice.

1. Remember Your Good Moments. 

Remembering your accomplishments, your achievements, and the last conversation you had that made you feel like you are on the right track is a great place to start. What we think about, we bring about. Get your mind in order with the positive words and accomplishments that we already have stored up.

2.  Start as soon as you get the energy to do something.

As soon as you get that burst of energy to pick yourself up and do something after a time of being down, get up and do it. If you get an idea, or an urge to get something completed something that is needed put an action to it straight away. It can be a big action or a small action; but take an action to solidify your agreement to move forward. Some have said you only have 5 seconds to use activation energy before it goes away. That is a way your mind and body let you know you are ready for the next step; and to ignore it tells your system that thing is not important and that your mental and physical energy should be directed elsewhere. As I am sure you can imagine it takes time for that gumption to come back because by not taking an action you have told yourself it is not needed.

 3.  Know what external resources you have to glean from and use them.

This is similar to remember your good moments; but if you need something more than what you have in memory know where to go. I recommend using resources such as the following:

a.       Read the Bible

b.       Prayer

c.       Watch or listen to encouraging YouTube videos

d.       Read your journal of past accomplishments or express some new thoughts

e.       Reach out to a friend, or a counselor, or a person to give you perspective  

4.       Consider keeping your peace instead of running to that quick fix.

We all have something, chocolate, sugar, or carbs, for example, that one feels compelled to run to in times of distress. However instead of running to these things try to do something healthy for your body and/or facing your emotions. Choose to think through the situation. It is better to be healthy and maintain your peace that add on more problems and complexity to an already less than favorable situation.

5.       Fear not...

If you are a Christian, you know this promise God gives us and can finish the rest of the sentence. If Christianity is not your faith, then I still encourage you to fear not; because, it is not going to do you any good to be in or move out of fear. There are a myriad of harmful effects fear causes; but there are a few that need to be mentioned such as loss of time, stunted growth, emotional bondage, and a lack of clarity. There may be a lot going on and times when you feel like there is no one around or nothing you can do; but often times there are enough options around us or experience we have had to draw on to get us up and going again.

Kenisa Nunley, founder & CEO of “Gowns and Gardens”, and “Gowns and Gardens House of Charities”, is a native Los Angelino and an explorer of life. She has a background in consulting, business development, events, and is a graduate from the University of Southern California, with a Bachelor of Arts in Global Business and an emphasis in marketing.

Instagram: @kenisanunley

Facebook: kenisanunley