Emotional Resilience and Mental Toughness

10 Ways to Boost Your Students' Emotional Resilience: Help Students Overcome Stress, Strife, and Setbacks.

Why everyone needs a Swim Buddy. Every Navy Seal starts with a Swim Buddy on day one of their BUD/S training. "No one can ever achieve greatness alone." is a simple fact every Navy Seal knows. We all need non-judgemental, helpful, and genuine support when we are faced with struggles and challenges! You need someone by your side pushing you to go farther, raising you up, helping you to get the tough jobs done, especially when you want to tap out, a Swim Buddy demands you up your game. Quitting or not trying is never an option when you have a real Swim Buddy by your side. Every teacher and ALL students need a Swim Buddy on their first day of class and every day after that. Struggling students need multiple swim buddies that will dig deep to lift them up and restore hope.

1) A Positive Attitude, Gratefulness, and Optimism

Positive Thinking: Optimism, Gratitude, Happiness, and Resilience are nice platitudes if they are not turned into a daily habit and your mission to happiness. The real question is how do you grow a positive attitude when the world feels like it is raining down on you?

• Write down positive thoughts and affirmations daily. The brain loves to focus on the negative. writing and reading about Optimism, Gratitude, Happiness, and Resilience will help students shut out some of that negativity and replace it with optimism. 
• Stay positive in your speech, thoughts, and your outlook. No excuses, no whining, and no complaining.  
• You can't think your way to Emotional Resilience and Mental Toughness, you'll have to do your way there with daily task and deeds. Connect your heart and mind through daily positive actions is the first step. A daily meme or positive quote won't get you there either. 
• Have multiple plans of action, A, B, and C, multiple paths with incremental tasks spelled out, expect adversity, demand change from yourself, acknowledge your growth, forgive yourself when you fail, and stay clear of negative people. And when or if you fail, fail forward. 

“See if you can catch yourself complaining, in either speech or thought, about a situation you find yourself in, what other people do or say, your surroundings, your life situation, even the weather. To complain is always nonacceptance of what is. It invariably carries an unconscious negative charge. When you complain, you make yourself into a victim. When you speak out, you are in your power. So change the situation by taking action or by speaking out if necessary or possible; leave the situation or accept it. All else is madness.”― Eckhart Tolle

#2) Find your Mission, Find your Purpose, and Find your Passion

How do you become an expert at something you love or find a future calling you may eventually love to do. Being skeptical is easy when it feels like you are failing at everything you try. The hard truth is the pursuit of purpose and passion takes daily practice, heart, resolve, risk, and willingness to try, try, try, and try again. You may never know what you love or have a passion for until you practice and gain some success in the endeavor.

• STOP and turn off the electronic distractions. Technology and screen time is sapping our passion, creativity, focus, and purpose in life.
• Schedule curiosity time and set aside time for passion projects.
• Try everything at least once that you have a deep passion for and take time to master those things you may find difficult but have a new found curiosity about. Everyone wants to have passion and purpose in life, but many people are not willing to put the time in and practice it takes to make it happen.
• Get out of your head and the endless negative thoughts it wants to generate and take positive fruitful action daily. You can't wish your way into finding passion and purpose; you have schedule passion time, you have to envision it and do your way into purpose-filled life.
• Let Your Heart Rule Over Your Head. Your mind wants you to believe the endless stream of doubt, fear, and negative thoughts are logical and protective, they are sapping your passion and success.
• Curiosity + Heart + Vision + Passion + Daily Passion Projects/Missions = Passion-Filled Life.
• A life without passion and purpose turns into a life of lies and regret. 

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. Harriet Tubman

3) Set SMART Micro Goals Daily

4) Do the Hard Missions First “Conquer Your Fears and Doubts with Micro Goals”

5) Find your Mentors be a Mentor "Swim Buddy”

6) Seek Out Motivational and Inspirational Role Models in Books, Podcasts, YouTube, and in Life!

7) Daily Physical Training and Mental Training

8) Live a Life of Integrity and Honor “State your Principles"

9) Developing Emotion Resilience is NEVERENDING, Always Train and Always Set New Micro Goals

10) Practice Mindfulness