Many competent leaders have given up and accepted constant stress and overwhelm. They exert raw power to get by day after day while constantly worn out. However, there is a radical option that is available regardless of the difficulties.
Our viewpoints on ourselves, people, work, life, and the wider world serve as both the problem and the solution. We first learn to recognize and let go of our default way of seeing things, which keep us in low to high degrees of fight or flight, by improving our mental fitness. In order to establish and maintain overall optimum performance, we next adopt strong new “helpful” viewpoints that generate truly happy, generative emotions, behaviors, and energy.
How do we measure mental fitness, and what is it?
Your measured capacity to participate productively and positively in daily life and work, no matter what challenges you face, is your mental fitness. You continually take on tasks with maximum effort in the here and now and with the least amount of recuperation time afterwards.
In reality, improving mental fitness involves altering the physiology of your brain. You purposefully alter the neuropathways that control ingrained thought and emotional habits. By consciously using several “lenses” or views, you can “try on” or adopt new neuropathways. Through repetition over time, you then consolidate these new neuropathways such that they become the new standard in your brain.
Therefore, you may assess your mental health using two straightforward indicators. Both are time-based. The first thing to consider is your speed: How soon can you reduce your responsiveness and emerge from a triggered state? Many people are agitated for hours or even days. You can quickly pull yourself out of that state if you have good mental health. Maybe even less!
Once you can quickly make this change, sustainability will be your second metric. You make these changes repeatedly and in a variety of situations when you have real mental fitness. No matter what you face at work or at home, having good mental health benefits you.
Enhance your leadership effectiveness
Maintain your self-balance
You cannot “think” your way out of a bad mood when you are provoked.
Fight-or-flight physiology, by definition, takes your focus off of reason.
You need to evaluate yourself, take deep breaths, and decide to take full responsibility for your own ideas and emotions.
Recognize the issue and alter your way of seeing things
After that, you’re prepared to recognize the issue and alter your negative attitude or energy level.
You examine yourself to identify your present perspective. That point of view is what is causing your present emotional state. The next step is to consider alternate viewpoints. You have a variety to pick from since you have previously been purposefully examining opposing viewpoints.
Embrace and behave in accordance with one of the alternate viewpoints
However, it won’t be just any viewpoint. It must induce a mood state of neutral to pleasant emotion in you. Your body and mind will actually change, and you’ll notice it. You’ve now regained the ability to reason logically and regulate your actions. You’re back to performing at your best. And you have a brand-new, alternative course of action within the limitations of your circumstances.
