I Can Adapt.
A huge thanks for all the great music suggestions!
I am still sifting threw all the artists to see what is appropriate for the clinic but I can already tell I found some new favorite musicians! I’ve always been miserable at DJ’ing, which I admit is a poor quality for a dance choreographer. Luckily Tate is awesome with music and helps me out a lot!
4 Weeks to 30
In 4 short weeks I get to celebrate the end of my 20’s and the start of the 3-0’s. To mark this transition I am working to break some old habits that I’d rather not bring with me into my 30’s and to develop some new, healthy habits for the new decade. You can check out my first round of habit making and breaking here.
We are all aware of the profound impact of stress on our health and happiness. On a scale of 1-10 I’d say I am about a 8 in my ability to handle stress, too high in my book! I’ve been thinking a lot about my ability to deal with stress over the last year and slowly starting to develop healthy stress management techniques.
This week is all about fostering Adaptive Competence.
I heard this great article on NPR Monday morning and have been thinking about it ever since. The gist is that the key to a long life lies in that old saying “Don’t sweat the small stuff-and it’s all small stuff”. Our ability to bounce back in life is directly related to our longevity. This is not exactly breaking news but it’s a good reminder about the deep impact stress can have on our overall well-being.
Some of the tools I use to deal with stress
- Step outside of myself for a moment and asses the situation. Am I overreacting?
- Break it down. I have a tendency to get caught up in the snowball effect of stress but it’s helpful to identify each component that is contributing to the issue(s) and
- Identify what is out of your control. “You can’t wring your hands and roll up your sleeves at the same time.” (Pat Schroeder) If something is within your control than roll up your sleeves and deal with it, otherwise breath and move on.
- Look at the big picture. “If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today.” (E. Joseph Cossman)
I believe Adaptive Competence is one of those things that some people have to work at more than others but it’s accessible to all. Even more important than longevity is quality of life. I firmly believe that an ability to not “sweat the small stuff” enhances the quality of every moment of every day.
“If you treat every situation as a life and death matter, you’ll die a lot of times” ~Dean Smith
