Mental Fitness & Hitting the "Pandemic Wall"

Our Resilience is really put to the Test!

I didn't know that there was something called a "pandemic wall" up until today. I felt it and I'm sort of "in it" - together with so many of you - but it never occurred to me that this is what it was called.

So here we are, a year since the unthinkable happened. I mean, who would have ever thought that our freedom of movement would be limited, the number of people we're allowed to see counted and that evening curfew is a reality we've been introduced to.

And the situation is lasting so very much longer than we ever thought possible. It seems....neverending.

Numerous people I spoke to, family and friends are testifying that it's becoming increasingly more difficult by the week to keep going, staying sort of sane and to "keep the bright side out". Mental reserves are being depleted all round. There is a general sense of feeling "worn out" and (corona) tired. While I see a lot of people being very creative and keeping their bodies fit despite gyms and fitness centres being closed, which inadvertently also helps the mind, investing consciously in "Mental Fitness" is not yet a very well known practice.

Define Mental Fitness?

"Your capacity to respond to life's challenges with a positive, rather than a negative mindset"

It impacts:

• Your ability to perform at your best, being in a “flow”

• Your peace of mind and wellness

• All your relationships and human interactions

This is my story about how I became mentally fit and why I'm now on a mission to help leaders through their "Pandemic Wall".

To start with I’ve embarked on the 6-week "Mental Fitness Program" by Shirzad Chamine in one of the darkest moments in my life, at the tail-end of last summer, having no real work since April and seeing everything that I’ve built in the last 3 years as an entrepreneur melting away. I want to acknowledge here that there are many people out there in even bigger "dire straits" and I empathize deeply with them. However, as a single mother and sole breadwinner, the stakes were sky-high and laying awake countless nights gripped by existential fear it didn't help my ability to "think straight" let alone seeing any gifts in my current situation. "What fucking gifts?" one might ask.

And being a certified coach I pretended to know all the answers, I mean... I should know, I should be able to deal with this situation more graciously, right?

The first couple of days into the 6-week Mental Fitness Program already totally changed my perspective in the sense that it helped me to understand why none of my personal development efforts in the past really stuck with me and how I was self-sabotaging every attempt of building new, healthy habits and all my efforts of building up my business again, despite the crisis.

My numerous "aha moments" were not a pretty picture but in the end, finally, I did start to see the gifts that were there for me, after all.....

Understanding the positive intelligence operating system in the first place, the self-sabotage that was constantly taking place, where it came from and most importantly what devastation it was resulting in, has been a soul-opening revelation.

Thanks to this program, I’ve taken back my own power! Yes!

I’m able now to activate my sage and understand the gifts that are there to unravel, no matter how dire the situation seems or what storms of changes are sweeping through my life. The positive intelligence operating system and program is based on:

1. Neuroscience

2. Positive Psychology

3. Cognitive Psychology

4. Performance Science

I consider myself fortunate and I know that I will come out of the current crisis, better than I went into it. I’m Mentally fit again today, which means that I have the capacity to respond to life's changes, challenges and storm with a positive rather than a negative mindset - which impacts my ability as a coach, entrepreneur mother, friend and human being.

Coming Full Circle

After my own journey, which has seen me battle through a deep depression and addiction (yes, my friends, but that's another blog) I'm being ignited by a burning wish to have as many people as possible experience and grow their own mental fitness! Because I know, I believe that the current times that we’re in require us to reclaim our power, our beautiful selves, our sages and become strong, kind and resourceful again so that we can support each other through these times.

If you're curious to know more, take your saboteur assessment and I'm giving away a free 45-minute coaching session to review the report with you and discuss how this program could help you, too.

Becoming strong doesn't happen in the Gym.

It happens in your mind.