Encouragement in Hard Times

Most days I feel like if I have to hear the word “unprecedented” one more time, I’ll lose it. It is obvious that our present situation is not what we would have picked for ourselves. Everyone’s lives have been uprooted to some extent and it is completely normal to feel overwhelmed during these times. I’ve often felt that way and want to share some tips from a person I look up to that help keep me grounded and remind me to remain hopeful.

Brené Brown is a national, award-winning, bestselling author and speaker who is a social worker and studies vulnerability and authenticity. I’ve found her work inspiring before COVID-19 but find myself going back to her in an effort to continue to develop what I can learn on the road to better myself. As we head into summer, there are three Brené Principles I’m following to keep learning about myself in focus, and I invite you to as well. Here we go.

Practice Grace. These are high-pressure times for everyone. Give yourself and others permission to be a little messy right now. Try to work through your own grief instead of taking it out on others. When you slip up (because we will), apologize! And be kind to yourself. I try to end every written correspondence and meeting with my staff during this time with the reminder to be kind to themselves. We often can extend grace to others but really struggle to give grace to ourselves.  

Name That Invisible Wall. It takes courage and vulnerability to be honest with yourself. These are trying times for everyone. I felt like I was rocking and rolling through the first couple of weeks but lately, it has become harder and harder to focus each week. I am at home, working remotely, with two small kids in tow and some days are just rough! Rather than sucking it up, I try to name what I’m feeling and take a break. Just walking away for a while instead of forcing myself to push through.

Believe It’s Going to be Okay. I am not saying gloss over the severity of the situation. But we will get to a place where the future gives us something to look forward to. Focus on what you can control and try to remain positive. Something I like to do when I’m feeling upset is to do something nice for someone else. It is hard to feel down when you are encouraging others. That feel good boost can be just the trick to quell uneasiness and lift your spirits!

When my kids say they can’t do something like tie their shoes or learn to ride a bike I always have them repeat back to me “I can do hard things”. It’s a little mantra with big meaning and it applies to all of us. You can do it, too. You can believe it and we can make it out of this stronger than ever.

By Emily Holmes - Emily is the Director of the Office of Leadership and Student Involvement at the University of Southern Mississippi. 

Bridging to Wellness

Working out changes the structure of your life. Think back to your childhood when you enjoyed going outside every day to ride a bike, jump rope, play tag, go swimming, or dance. I am quite sure you have some type of favorite exercise or activity. My favorite activity was jump roping. I became very skilled at it, and it’s one of many things that I still incorporate in my exercise routines.

Now for you, it may be something different. You can start with activities, locations, and times you enjoy. For example, you might like early morning walks alone on the track or in the neighborhood; others might prefer indoor or online group classes. I am a loner when it comes to exercising. I like to get in, do what I need to do, and get out.

We all know why we should exercise but maybe we don’t know-how. As a physical education major, I know it’s recommended that adults get 150 minutes of physical activity a week. But even just doing an exercise or activity you enjoy for about 10-15 minutes a day could be the first step you take to becoming active. Many things come to mind when you’re consistently working out.

During those few minutes, your mind should be thinking about how you will pass that test, graduate, be admitted to graduate school, or on any other goals that you would like to accomplish. During my first year in graduate school, I was not involved, nor did I have a graduate assistantship. Working out motivated me to become a better student. I applied for 9 graduate assistantship and was rejected by 8 of those nine. It was like telling me I am not good enough. I kept exercising to feel some type of motivation to remove those mental blocks. Soon I became a volunteer graduate assistant for the women’s basketball team which led me to another opportunity by becoming a graduate assistant for our campus recreation facility. I say that to say this; if you believe in yourself and work hard, the more likely you are to meet those goals.

Be realistic about the goals you set as you begin to start a daily exercise routine. Figure out what day or time you can exercise for a few minutes. Start slowly and work your way up to more physically challenging activities. For instance, you can begin to walk twice a day for 15 minutes. If your activity lasts at least 10 minutes, it counts as exercise... If you have the motivation to workout, you’ll likely have the motivation to do other things. Mind over matter. You can do this!

By Londyn Thomas - Londyn is a graduate student in the Physical Education program and a graduate assistant in the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Southern Mississippi. She also serves as a volunteer GA for the Southern Miss Women’s Basketball program.

Exercising to Relieve Mental Stress

You would be amazed by the things exercise does to relieve stress. Stress can come in many forms and produce many symptoms such as worrying, having anxiety, and even sensations of dread. To prevent these symptoms, I would take only a few minutes out of my day to get my body going by stretching and doing just 25 push-ups in the morning. It made my body feel better with the mindset of being ready to make the best of my day. This could help keep you focused and feeling good, too!

You might think student-athletes have it easy with nothing to stress about, but they do stress. It may come from not producing in practice or not excelling in their academics due to possibly being overwhelmed. I know this because I have been stressed as a student-athlete and as a normal student in my life. Although I have always enjoyed being in a gym, I knew working out to relieve stress was not the reason for me being there. I needed exercise separate from practice. Even playing a simple pick-up game or lifting weights created happiness for me.

Athletes and other active people I know understand this point as well. I know this because while working at the Payne Center, there would be athletes that come in for a workout or just to play a pick-up game of basketball. I am almost certain that this was a way of them relieving stress, such as doing the exercises that would benefit them mentally. 

We all have felt this way in life. For instance, you may be stressed out due to having multiple essays to do before the end of the semester. Times like this I would be in the library working for hours on assignments feeling overwhelmed. A simple walk around the library allowed my mind to block out thoughts and worries. After that walk, I was ready for the next task. And check this out, Harvard psychiatrist and researcher  John Ratey stated in an interview with inc.com, "we know from studies, when we stand our brains are a little bit better, maybe 7 percent better than when we’re sitting.” 

Exercising regularly made me happier, smarter, and most importantly less stressed. Most people do not exercise because of low energy and too much worrying over things they have no control. One thing you can often control is the way you look and how you feel. For me, looking in the mirror and seeing my big biceps and broad shoulders makes me feel great. Check out the resources from my friends at the Payne Center. I bet they’ve got something that will get you started down your path. 

By Londyn Thomas - Londyn is a graduate student in the Physical Education program and a graduate assistant in the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Southern Mississippi. She also serves as a volunteer GA for the Southern Miss Women’s Basketball program.