2. Developing Physical Resilience

Excessive stress can affect your health, ability to sleep, and ability to handle temptation. Good nutrition and exercise can help you manage stress better. If you are having physical challenges, pray about them. Then choose one or two of the following suggestions that seem right for you. Not every suggestion will work for every person. Most ideas must be practiced for at least two to three weeks before they begin to be helpful. Look in the section “1. Developing Resilience under Stress” for additional suggestions.

A. Learning to Work Hard

• Break down big or difficult tasks into smaller pieces. If the tasks still feel too hard, break them down further. Then begin working on one of the tasks. If you wait until you “feel like” working before you start, you may wait a long time. Get started, and motivation will generally follow.

• Pace yourself. Vary the work you do, and don’t work too long at just one activity. Remind yourself: “All I have to do right now is .”

• Get enough sleep, healthy food, water, and exercise to have the stamina you need.

• Look for and welcome support, suggestions, and encouragement from others. Support and encourage others as well.

• Express gratitude. Be grateful not only for your blessings but also for your challenges and adversities. You can learn from them. Expressing gratitude will open the door for the Lord to bless and help you.

B. Staying Healthy and Energetic

• Study and apply Doctrine and Covenants 89.

“And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;

“And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;

“And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.

“And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.”

Doctrine and Covenants 89:18–21

• Strengthen your immune system.

  • Get eight to nine hours of sleep.

  • Drink 6 to 12 glasses of water per day, depending on the climate.

  • Except when fasting, don’t skip meals, especially breakfast.

  • Avoid sugar.

  • Take a multivitamin each day.

  • Eat some protein each day (for example, nuts, beans, tofu, eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, fish, poultry, meat).

  • Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer, especially if others around you are ill.

  • Don’t let food sit around that should be refrigerated. When in doubt, toss it out.

    

• Exercise regularly. Exercise is essential for physical well-being. Do both strength and endurance training, averaging 30 minutes a day, five times a week. Exercise helps increase your energy and stabilizes your mood.

• Dress for the weather. If you work outside in the hot sun, be sure to wear sunblock and light-colored clothing. If you get too warm, run cool water over your wrists. In cold weather, wear layers of clothing, including gloves and a hat.

• Keep your living space clean and dust free. A clean room will also lift your spirits. Cooperate with your parents, and be considerate of your family. Help them to maintain shared spaces. Keeping your living space clean is especially important if you have frequent colds or allergies. Wash towels and sheets regularly to reduce allergens.

C. Managing Head, Stomach, or Muscle Pain

• Practice physical relaxation. Relaxing may help to reduce physical symptoms like headaches, stomachaches, or back pain. It may also help diarrhea, joint pain, racing heart, or trouble catching your breath. It may reduce feelings of panic. Train your body to relax by practicing the progressive relaxation exercise. Or try the breathing exercise every day for at least three weeks. When you have physical symptoms or feel overstressed, use these exercises to reduce tension. They will help you feel calm. When you relax, focus on trusting that the Lord will help you with your challenges. In this way, learning to relax can be a form of surrender to God’s will. It can also show a willingness to follow the Savior, who said, “Not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42).

Progressive Relaxation Exercise

Deep relaxation helps your body recover from stress. Practice the following exercise or the breathing exercise at night before you sleep. Doing this will train your body to relax. You can do a shorter version of the following exercise during the day. Use it any time you feel overstressed.

• Lie or sit comfortably and close your eyes.

• Concentrate on one part of your body, such as your hand or foot. Notice any tension. Consciously relax that part of your body. Feel all the tension draining away, like sand running through your fingers. Then move on to the next part of your body. Take your time. Do you think there is still tension in your body? Tighten part of your body for 10 seconds. Then completely relax for 10 seconds before moving on.

• Focus on one area of your body at a time, starting with your head and working down to your feet and toes.

• Mentally scan your body for any remaining tension. Completely relax.

• Choose a “personal scene” that brings you joy and peace. It can be a memory or an imagined setting. Try to imagine this scene as vividly as possible.

• Break your work into small tasks. Then take on only one task at a time. At each step, remind yourself, “All I have to do right now is .” For example, you could say, “All I have to do right now is call the service mission leader” or “All I have to do right now is get dressed for the day.”

• Keep a log for a week. This will help you see when your physical symptoms occur. Look for patterns. For example, your symptoms might be more likely to occur:

  • Under certain circumstances, such as on Sundays. You may also feel ill when you are around leaders. Often you may feel ill when you haven’t eaten for several hours.

  • When you think a certain way. For example, when you think you should have done something better.

  • When you have certain feelings you don’t want to talk about, such as anxiety or anger.

• Consider a way to change the situation. For example, you could carry healthy snacks with you or try to change your thoughts (see “Talking Back to Negative Thinking”). You could also try to calm your feelings (see “Responding Positively to Stress”). Find more suggestions under “3. Developing Emotional Resilience.”

• Seek medical attention. If symptoms continue or if you are injured, consult with your parents to receive medical help.

• Forget yourself. You may notice worried thoughts such as “I’m going to forget what to say.” Or you may think “I am making a fool of myself.” Remind yourself that everyone makes mistakes. Remember that the Lord chooses to work through the weak and simple (see Doctrine and Covenants 1:24–28).

D. Sleeping Well and Going to Bed on Time

• Write a list of what is keeping you awake. Then set this list aside. Doing this will allow your mind to rest knowing that you won’t forget something important. Remind yourself that you will work out specific plans in the morning. Focus your nightly prayers on gratitude and reporting what you learned that day.

• Follow a routine each night. This will train your body that it is time to sleep. For example, use the progressive relaxation exercise before going to bed. Refrain from reading or eating in bed. You will sleep better if your mind knows that your bed is a place for sleeping. Plan to get eight to nine hours of sleep each night.

• Unwind and relax during the last hour of the day. Before going to bed, write in a journal or have a light snack like milk or fruit. Listen to appropriate music, talk to a family member, or practice relaxation skills. If you forget to start to relax during this hour, set an alarm to go off 30 minutes before you should go to bed. When you hear it, stop what you are doing. Then begin to relax and prepare for bed.

• Avoid sugar or exercise for an hour before bedtime.

• Warm up or cool down. It is more difficult to sleep if you are too hot or too cold. Take a cool shower or get an extra blanket.

• Prevent light and noise as much as possible. Block out light, and mask noise by running a fan or wearing earplugs. Even a little light or noise keeps some people awake.

“Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.”

Doctrine and Covenants 88:124

E. Getting Up on Time

• First, get to bed on time. If you are not getting enough sleep, go to bed 30 minutes earlier.

• Get regular exercise. After three to four weeks of exercising 30 minutes a day, you may notice that you need less sleep. As your body gets stronger, it has more energy and relaxes more easily.

• Avoid sugar before bedtime. Doing so may help you feel less groggy in the morning.

• Program your brain. Tell yourself the night before what time you want to wake up.

• If possible, get a timer and attach it to a light. Set the timer to turn on your light 15 to 20 minutes before wake-up time. Light signals your brain to wake up.

F. Eating with Family

• Engage with your family in planning meals. Contribute time to shop for food, plan and prepare meals, and clean up.

• Eat a variety of foods. Aim to eat at least five fruits or vegetables each day, if available.

• Eat protein each day. Foods high in protein include nuts, beans, tofu, eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, fish, poultry, and meat.

• Reduce sugar and avoid caffeine. Both tend to make people moody and tired in the long run.

• Drink water and other liquids. Stay hydrated by drinking 6 to 12 glasses of water and other liquids per day, depending on the climate.

• Lose weight gradually if needed. Are you trying to lose weight? If so, don’t try to lose more than one to two pounds (one kilogram) per week. Drink extra water.

Christ Walking on the Water, by Robert T. Barrett

“And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”

Ether 12:27

G. Getting Motivated to Exercise

• Pray for the desire to exercise. Then start by telling yourself that you will exercise for only five minutes. You will often become more motivated once you get started.

• Remind yourself of the benefits of exercise. Imagine having better immunity and increased energy. Also imagine managing stress better, feeling better emotionally, and managing your weight better. Even people who don’t like exercise receive these benefits.

• Make exercise a game. While you exercise, plan a fun activity for later, or exercise to appropriate music. Keep a scorecard of your exercise efforts, and reward yourself for meeting your goals. The reward might be going to a park, restaurant, or store.

• Find a type of exercise you enjoy (or dislike the least). For example, you might march to upbeat music or jog. You might jump rope, stretch, or do push-ups, sit-ups, or yoga.