In school, Julius would run 10,000 meters or play football. Despite enjoying these activities, he knew that he was not good enough to succeed in them. It was in javelin that he found something that he was truly passionate about and felt that he could be great at. It was during his final year in high school that his javelin prowess was revealed. Despite their desire for him to pursue a traditional education, his parents saw huge potential in the javelin event and allowed him to follow his dreams.

In 2003, he competed in the high school regional championship. In 2006, he won the national junior title and broke the Kenyan junior record. At the age of nineteen in 2008, he won his first national title in the javelin and defended his title in 2009 and 2010.

However, he had no one to coach him. Undeterred Yego turned to the internet and begun researching on general and gym exercises for the javelin event. He then studied the throwing technique and would consistently practice what he was watching on YouTube.

In 2011, he became the first Kenyan to win a medal in a field event during the continental meet when he won gold at the All African Games.

There are several lessons that we can learn from this Kenyan and African giant that you could even begin applying today!

What are you good at?

Everyone has something they thrive in. Julius Yego had an interest in football and was probably under pressure to be like many of the track athletes around him. However, he knew that the javelin was the one area where he was ahead of everyone else. Not only was he passionate about the javelin, but he was also especially good at it. Eric Liddell, a British Gold Medalist in the early 1900s and best known today for the classic movie Chariots of Fire loved to run. He once described the pleasure he derived from running by saying “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast! And when I run, I feel His pleasure.”
Here is what you can do to figure out what you are good at:

• Start by listing down all the things you can do on a piece of paper
• Develop a top three list
• Try and narrow down to the thing that gives you the most reward (not financially) but in terms of inner peace and enjoyment. When I interview someone for my company one of the things that I ask them is – “what would you do (workwise) for free?” At this point, I enjoy watching the interviewees face light up as they describe the tasks or jobs that they would do for free.

Before we move on, please note that you don’t have to figure out everything at once. Between the ages of 15 to 25 try to do as many things as you possibly can. This will help you between the ages of 25 and 35 as you tend to narrow down your interest and have a better idea of who really are and what you enjoy doing.

How can you get better?

Julius Yego is jokingly referred to as Mr. “YouTube man”, not because of his popularity on YouTube but because he worked on perfecting his craft through the video-sharing platform. His exercise regiment, running and throwing techniques were formed through watching YouTube videos. The internet has as much free content for any topic or skill you would like to improve. And while a lot of young people complain that there are not enough mentors, it would be great to remember that there are thousands if not millions of opportunities to get mentored on the internet through interacting with uploaded and produced content. I have mentioned YouTube but there are several other sites that you could use to improve on any skill that you would want to develop:

General Content

1. Skillshare.com – a community for creatives of all kinds sharing their expertise
2. Udemy.com – a large collection of courses
3. CNBC Article – 10 free online classes that will help you gain new skills
4. CIO Article – 12 free sites to help you grow your tech skills

Digital Learning Content

1. Facebook Blueprint
2. Google Digital Academy

Tech and Coding Content

1. 12 sites that will teach you coding for free or at a low cost
2. 81 of the best places to learn how to code for free

Put Yourself Out There

The internet is a great place to learn but it is also a great place to be seen.

Frantic Frames is a stop-motion agency with 113K followers on Instagram. The agency has worked for some of the biggest brands on Instagram and has a long collection of clients and content produced. Frantic Frames is owned by a 17-year-old, self-taught animator named Ben Treat. His Instagram account is his main platform for sharing his content. Fame came calling for Ben when he decided to create 100 stop-motions in 100 days – more about his and how he started at the age of 13 and the story of his journey to success here.

Julian Bass is a black American VFX and video editor who took Hollywood by storm in early July and was recognized by Walt Disney Executive Chairman Robert Iger. You might think that Julian started recently but if you check out his YouTube channel you will find acting and video editing content from 2013.

Locally we know about Azziad Nasenya who is now one of Kenya’s biggest celebrities. These three examples are all people below the ages of 25 who have found out what their talents are and have given their all to pursuing their ambitions and working hard.

I hope that you can find what you are passionate about and begin working on improving your craft.

The post How to Develop your Talents as a University Student appeared first on Heroes For Change.

Kemunto is a journalism major who has spent her last few years in school working on her degree with the goal of eventually securing a job at a news outlet. At the beginning of her degree her sole focus was on doing well in her classes so she could secure a job through this route. She therefore put in the effort and time to learn the intricacies of journalism and to prepare herself for a career in this path. However, as she has been working on her skills, she has noticed many of her classmates move ahead of her without having the same level of competence in classroom skills that she had. Kemunto has realized that she needs to improve her skillset to make it more appropriate for the marketplace otherwise her conventional career path will not pan out.
While the journalism skills are important, Kemunto has realized that she needs to carry out some specialization which will allow her to compete with others in her field. Kemunto has always had an interest in the field of finance. She has realized now that by putting in extra hours in developing a specialized knowledge of the field, she can enhance her profile as a journalist. Instead of having the same general skillset that her whole class has, Kemunto will now be able to differentiate herself with her finance specialization. Moreover, because of this focus Kemunto will now be able to establish herself within the field as a quality journalist because she has taken on this development of the set of skills already at her disposal.

There have been a lot of changes in the last few months and an honest evaluation shows that the new normal is here to stay. What can you, as a university student do to prepare for the ups and downs of a world that has changed? Here are a few attitudes and skills that you can develop in the coming weeks and months.

Embrace Change

Flexibility and an openness to change is your biggest asset during a time of upheaval. There are jobs that will never come back because of COVID-19, while others will appear in the aftermath of the virus that did not exist before. The twentieth century had several jobs that don’t exist today such as lift operators, or switchboard operators. Look at the changing times and advancement in technology as opportunities for you to adapt. Once you accept this challenge, there are many openings even in these turbulent times.

Master E-Learning

One way to accept this challenge is to make use of the wide range of opportunities to develop yourself online. There are courses on any topic in the world available today. There are courses on lighting, shooting family portraits or corporate photography for those inclined in that direction. For those with a technology focus there are courses on coding, website design, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things. All you need to do is search the internet for resources that can help develop you to better execute your business idea or desired employment path.

If you would like to develop a skill and monetize it

Skillshare.com – a community for creatives of all kinds to share their expertise

Udemy.com – a large collection of courses

CNBC Article – 10 free online classes that will help you gain new skills

CIO Article – 12 free sites to help you grow your tech skills

If you are interested in Digital Learning

Facebook Blueprint

Google Digital Academy

If you are interested in coding

12 sites that will teach you coding for free or at a low cost

81 of the best places to learn how to code for free

Keep learning.

Familiarize Yourself with New Technology

While there are numerous opportunities available online today, it is important to become familiar with the new technologies that exist. While you can still make some good cash developing websites today, you would face lots of competition in an already flooded market. Nonetheless, you can pick up a wide range of skills on Social Media Management, Digital Marketing, Coding, the Internet of Things, AI, Cloud Computing, VR, Blockchain Technology, or other tech-related topics.

Businesses are looking for individuals who are multi-skilled, so your new skills would help further differentiate you in the market. Similarly, if you are hoping to start a business your skills would be essential in meeting current needs in the market. It is essential to become familiar with the fast-developing face of the online world today.

Improve your Communication

Being an effective communicator means more than learning how to listen and speak well, you need to be able to effectively pass on your message through a variety of mediums. You probably can write an email or use Microsoft Word. These skills are necessary because whether you will be employed or in business every industry has a specific level of presentation and communication. Carving out your own space is essential as Theresia Kyalo has shown. This is a great time to work on your presentation and PowerPoint skills. Learn how to create beautiful

The post Skills that University Students Should Develop Now appeared first on Heroes For Change.

Ochola has just began working and he is struggling to make his entry level salary last until the end of the month. Having just started working, he believes that he should invest his money in a number of different ventures. At the same time, he also wants to enjoy life. Ochola therefore spends much of his money on parties and buying gifts for himself, his family, and friends. Unfortunately, the consequence of his current lifestyle is that Ochola is struggling to make ends meet. At the end of every month he barely has enough money to cater to transport or any other basics despite having earned more than many of his contemporaries. Moreover, Ochola is now looking to secure debt solutions as he is no longer able to manage the end of the month.
While he has been setting aside money for saving and investments, Ochola finds himself taking money out of this fund when he is broke. He argues that the problem is that he does not earn enough money at the moment and the investments are too small for his dreams. Ochola believes that if he was able to secure a promotion he would be able to manage his money better. The challenges that he faces are the reason that he is unable to secure greater income and returns over the years. Ochola looks at his current situation and is convinced that with a larger income his monthly challenges would be a thing of the past. He is therefore working to secure a pay rise and has already approached his boss with a request for the same.

The truth is the average campus student wants to finish school, get a job, make good money, buy a car, live in a nice side of town, and have the respect of their family and friends.
We all feel the pressure to “make it.” From flashy posts on social media with celebrities and business personalities driving the most expensive cars, eating at the best restaurants. And even with the reality of COVID-19, we still see lots of celebrities that we follow on social media living their best lives, clearly, the reduced incomes or job losses have not been experienced by all.

If you are struggling to pay rent, find food to eat, or can see that your family is just getting by, you might feel that you or your parents are not doing the right thing. What we do not realize is that the people who get rich quickly when young are a really low percentage of society. In 2015, the Business Insider noted that it takes 32 years for the average self-made millionaire to get rich. It took 38 years for 52% and 42 years for 21%. Only a handful, 4%, became wealthy in less than 27 years. Let me break it down:

•  1% became wealthy before the age of 40
•  3% became wealthy between age 40 and 45
•  16% became wealthy between age 46 and 50
•  28% became wealthy between age 51 and 55
•  31% became wealthy between age 56 and 60
•  21% became wealthy after the age of 60

The “get rich quick gospel” is a myth. It takes many years of hard work, sacrifice, failure, and recovery to become wealthy. So, let us talk about a few principles that will help you become wealthy over time. The best time to start learning these lessons is now during this hard season.

Spending Less

Spending less flamboyantly is a major way to ensure greater growth. The Millionaire Next Door is a great book and below is an excerpt from there:
“They are in types of that would be classified as dull-normal – welding contractors, auctioneers, rice farmers, pest controllers, coin and stamp dealers, and paving contractors. However, they live on less than 7% of their wealth and are homeowners, living in the same home for more than twenty years. They stay in areas below their status of wealth and have more than six and one-half times the level of wealth of non-millionaire neighbours.”
These are people who live well below their means. If you were presented a group of people and asked to pick who you think is an average millionaire you would be wrong because the clothes, cars, houses and locations lived in would be different from what you think. The millionaires in The Millionaire Next Door decided to trade acquiring high-status material possessions for wealth.
Saving

Saving is keeping money aside from what you earn today to use in the future. There are three kinds of people:

• Those of us who spend more than we earn
• Those who spend exactly what we earn.
• Those who spend less than they earn.

The good book tells us that the ant, despite not having a commander, overseer, or ruler, stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest (Proverbs 6:6-8). It also tells us that the house of the wise stores choice food and oil but that they foolish man devours all he has (Proverbs 21:20). The case of Raymond Yator shows how without this type of planning great wealth can go to waste.

Keeping Track

If you can see where your money is going, it can help you manage your expenses more effectively. You can track excessive spending and keep track of items that you need to reduce spending on. Even for those with great wealth, lavish spending without proper planning will burn through a huge fortune, as several billionaires discovered. To help you with this, there are several mobile applications that you can use to keep track of your spending.

Budget

A good budget will help get the most out of your money. It will also help one avoid debts by spending it wrongly or wastefully. Budgeting can help you achieve your financial goals whether those goals are buying a phone, laptop, going to a concert, or saving for a holiday. It can also prevent you stressing over money because it helps you know whether you are managing your money, or your money is managing you.

Income Plan

If you have a plan on what to do with your money, when you get it then you are ready to start working on creating an income plan. We created a COVID-19 Toolkit and have lots of great content to help you. It has three main components:

• Figure out what your talents and skills are
• Learn how to develop them and finally
• Generate income

Working on generating income now would set you apart in a few years, whether you decide to get a job or start a business. Leveraging your skills during this time as Elsa Majimbo has can reap great benefits. The skills you will develop will serve you all your life. Innovation will not only create great opportunities from crisis, it will save you much trouble later in life. You do not have to start saving when you are earning KES 250,000 (2,500 USD) a month, start with KES 1,500 (15 USD). Only then will you be able to start managing your resources effectively.

The post Money Management appeared first on Heroes For Change.

Natela’s outreach club has chosen her to host a panel of young people, meaning that she will have to carry out public speaking without a clear script. This situation has caused her to have serious bouts of anxiety. As the day of the event comes closer, Natela has experienced a few anxiety attacks. She struggles to breathe in these situations as she remembers the way in which this situation will unfold. It is hard for her to feel ready as she knows the questions may come from all corners with no clear organization. When she wakes up on the day of the event, Natela has her worst panic attack yet as she reviews the discussion information. The weight of anxiety is extensive on her as she works to deal with this widely open situation

Being worried or fearful is normal while Anxiety Disorder is not. Here is the difference. Experiencing occasional bouts of anxiety is a normal occurrence. You will sometimes be worried about your test results, a job interview, or even a first date. Anxiety disorder is more than this, however. The Mayo Clinic defines anxiety disorder as a mental health disorder characterized by feelings of worry or fear that are strong enough to interfere with one’s daily activities.
We sat down with counseling psychologists Catherine Muriithi and Edna Chawia from Nsikize and asked them to help us define Anxiety Disorder. Here are some of the insights we gleaned.

Definition

An anxiety disorder is an unreasonable and excessive fear towards a situation, event, person, or object. A person with an anxiety disorder may or may not display the following signs and symptoms:

• Excessive sweating
•  An increased heart rate
•  Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
•  Psychosomatic illnesses – These are illnesses such as hypertension, gastrointestinal disturbances, migraine and tension headaches, pelvic pain, or even impotence. Despite conducting several tests psychosomatic illnesses have no known physical cause.
•  Irritability
•  A persistent sense of impending danger or doom
•  Trouble sleeping
•  Difficulty relaxing
•  Feeling unreal or detached from your surroundings
•  Feeling dizzy, lightheaded, or faint
• Fear of dying, losing control, or going crazy

Even if you display some of these symptoms you should be careful with self-diagnosis. Edna Chawia mentioned during our conversation that only a qualified counseling psychologist or psychiatrist should diagnose an individual with anxiety disorder. They will usually do so if you are displaying five or more symptoms and have done so for more than two weeks. “This is what distinguishes anxiety disorder from seasonal or situational anxiety” she told us.

Prevention of Anxiety

If you are displaying some of these symptoms or know someone who is, here are a few things to help cope.

Social Interaction

Discussing with other people is important in dealing with anxiety. Today’s young person has limited in-person interactions. There is also less access to older generations – most grandparents live out of town and several parents work late and leave early isolating their children. Social interaction is about the intentional relationships you maintain. Having people around you who notice when your behavior or patterns change is good for your mental health. It also helps to be able to talk and be open about what it is that is causing you stress and anxiety.

Self-Awareness

Think of self-awareness like your personal check engine light. You do not need to go to a mechanic to know when a car engine has an issue – the car will indicate when there is a problem. It is likewise important to be aware of our mental and emotional states. A good way of building awareness is creating a priority list. List down all the things in your life that might be causing anxiety.

• COVID-19 has pushed my graduation, and entry into the job market.
• Do not have enough money for school fees
• Both my parents are out work and we have had to move to a new house
• I am afraid of the Coronavirus and death
• Because of COVID-19 and the effect of the pandemic on business there are few available jobs in the job market.

Next, determine what is within your control and what is not within your control. For items that are not within your control you will need to figure out how to cope with them and be at peace. Another way of developing self-awareness is journaling writing about experiences that have played a role in how you feel or think.

Seek Help Early

If you are overwhelmed or can sense that you are severely anxious then seek help. Talking about what is causing you anxiety or spending time with a professional counselor will help you feel better and assist you in changing your mindset on the issues affecting you. Seeing a counsellor does not mean that you are mentally insane or abnormal. Counsellors help you cope and give you a variety of tools and exercises to support you through the various challenges that life throws at you.
Seeking professional help has turned several people’s lives around and increased the quality of their life. If you would like to talk to a professional but you are afraid and not sure as to how it will go, start of by making an anonymous call. Nsikize have a 24-hour hotline (0900 620 800) that only charges you 7 shillings per minute. For 20 minutes you will spend KES 140 and will be able to find some form of release.
This is a good and simple start to helping you ease into the idea of counselling. If you feel you need more time with a professional, they have affordable but professional chat and in-person counselling services. Remember a conversation with a professional counsellor not only helps increase your quality of life, helps you cope with day to day challenges but could also save a life.
For more tips on how to prevent anxiety, read our mental toughness article here.

The post Anxiety Disorder Symptoms and Prevention appeared first on Heroes For Change.

Nyaguthii has struggled to engage meaningfully in any activities for school or pleasure over the last month. She used to be a highly energetic person, always looking to meet with her friends and extremely gregarious. Similarly, in school, she was always the first person in the class, full of brightness and energy. She would always apply herself fully to her work and people knew her for her strong commitment to work. Over the last month however, Nyaguthii has lost all interest in social engagements. School was previously a key part of her day, but since the COVID-19 pandemic, the university has shut down and sent all students home. Without this source of activity and purpose, Nyaguthii feels helpless, and has lost all her interest in the major things that used to excite her.
Being stuck in the house, Nyaguthii struggles maintain her normal lifestyle, both in terms of focus and in terms of her rhythm. She struggles to get out of bed, and has no interest in studying or in meet-ups with her friends, despite the fact that they were her principal source of fun in the past. Nyaguthii barely eats anything these days, instead focusing on watching series from her laptop in bed. While previously she was full of energy and freshness, today Nyaguthii is withdrawn and silent, preferring to spend the whole day indoors without talking to anyone.

During this COVID-19 period, several things could have triggered a feeling of sadness or hopelessness. A loss of income, postponing or cessation of your plans and ambitions or even a change family dynamics or income. Feeling low emotionally or being moody because of these factors is not necessarily a depression diagnosis.

Understanding depression will help you know when something is wrong in your life or in a friend’s life. A review of the facts we know about depression is helpful in knowing how to achieve this success, beginning with the symptoms of the condition.

Symptoms

These symptoms may occur several times in a day, nearly every day and may or may not include:

•  Loss of interest in normal activities previously enjoyed such as hobbies, sports, work, or school
•  Being overwhelmed with sadness but being unable to find the trigger
•  Loss of appetite or an increased appetite that may or may not express itself through sudden weight gain or loss
•  Fatigue and loss of energy so even small tasks take added effort
•  Anxiety and restlessness
•  Suicidal thoughts and ideation, whether with a plan or not
•  Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or self-blame
•  Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
•  Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches
•  Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters
•  Uncontrollable crying without reason
•  Insomnia (an inability to sleep) or hypersomnia (excessive sleeping)

Mayo Clinic warns that there are a few other symptoms to watch out for in teenagers and young adults. Symptoms may include sadness, feeling negative and worthless, poor performance or poor attendance at school, feeling misunderstood and excessive sensitivity, misuse of recreational drugs or alcohol, and self-harm.
For many people struggling with depression their symptoms will cause problems in their day-to-day lives. Catherine Muriithi a counselling psychologist and co-founder of Nsikize says that “the sadness we feel when we have lost someone is normal.” She cautions that “what we should be watchful for is five or more symptoms that persist for more than two weeks.” Edna Chawia, also of Nsikize adds that “on their own feeling like being anxious, unable to sleep, moody or feeling low are normal human responses. But once you are displaying several symptoms then there is cause for caution.” If the symptoms are affecting your functionality at school, work or at home then you are probably depressed and should seek help from a counseling psychologist.

Prevention of Depression

If you are displaying some of these symptoms or know some who is, here are a few things to help cope.

Social Interaction

Today’s young person has limited in-person interactions instead relying on surface-level social media. Social interaction is about the intentional relationships you maintain. Edna says that it is important to have people around you who can “draw you out and call you out” of a dark place.
Having people around you who notice when your behavior or patterns change is good for your mental health. It also helps to be able to talk and be open about what it is that is causing you to feel depressed.

Self-Awareness

Think of self-awareness like your personal check engine light. You do not need to go to a mechanic to know when a car engine has an issue – the warning light will go on once there is an issue. In the same way it is important to be aware of our mental and emotional states. List down all the things in your life that might be causing you to have depressive feelings. Some examples may be:

•  COVID-19 has pushed my graduation, and entry into the job market
•  Do not have enough money for school fees
•  Both my parents are out work and we have had to move to a new house
•  I am afraid of COVID-19 and death
•  Because of COVID-19 and the effect of the pandemic on business there are few available jobs in the job market
  Determine what is within your control and what is not within your control. You will need to figure out how to cope with the consequences and be at peace with the reality of your current limitations. Another way of developing self-awareness is journaling writing about experiences that have played a role in how you feel or think.

Seek Help Early

If you are overwhelmed or can sense that you are severely depressed then seek help. If you would like to talk to a professional but you are afraid and not sure as to how it will go, start of by making an anonymous call. Nsikize have a 24-hour hotline (0900 620 800) that only charges you 7 shillings per minute. For 20 minutes you will spend KES 140 and will be able to find some form of release.
This is a good and simple start to helping you ease into the idea of counselling. If you feel you need more time with a professional, they have affordable but professional chat and in person counselling services. Remember a conversation with a professional counsellor not only helps increase your quality of life, but it also helps you cope with day to day challenges but could also save a life.
For more tips on how to prevent anxiety, read our mental toughness article here.

The post Depression Disorder Symptoms and Prevention appeared first on Heroes For Change.

Cheruiyot got an internship a few months ago and since then he has put in a huge amount of effort to ensure that he can secure his position in the organization. As the child of a single mother, Cheruiyot is working to ensure that the degree he has will allow him to be able to help out his family. He worked hard in school to develop himself. From this self-improvement, Cheruiyot took on all the opportunities he could discover, and landed an excellent internship opportunity six months ago. At the time, the hiring manager assured him that if he put in the effort he would be sure to secure long-term employment at this company. Naturally, Cheruiyot put in the full effort in this job and he was able to ensure that he exceeded all his work targets while developing himself in the process.

Unfortunately, despite doing everything, Cheruiyot will now have to explore other options if he intends to succeed in his professional journey. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a destructive impact on the company’s bottom line, and hiring is on an indefinite freeze. Moreover, even the internship which he secured will no longer be available, and the company will have to let him go. Cheruiyot is therefore under extreme pressure with little in the way of meaningful solutions to deal with this situation. Instead of wallowing in the difficult situation, Cheruiyot secured a glowing recommendation from the hiring manager. Using this recommendation, he now has two interviews coming up this week despite the difficulty of the pandemic.

When faced with crisis or when you have your world turned upside down – how resilient are you? During this COVID-19 pandemic period some people have quickly bounced back from setbacks, depression, anxiety, job losses and income or change of plans. When life knocks you down are you quick to get back up or does it take some time?
Resilience is a skill that will serve you for the rest of your life. The American Psychological Association defines mental resilience as: “The process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or even significant sources of stress.” Because we are bound to receive stressors and pressure at school, work, within family or among friends’ mental toughness and resilience is a skill you want to master.
Ian Turner writes about four important traits of mental toughness which he summarizes as the Four C’s – Control, Commitment, Challenge and Confidence.

Control

Control is the extent to which you feel that you direct your life and emotions. When you are in this position, you have a good sense of who you are and what you stand. You are also are comfortable in your own skin. You are better able to keep your emotions in check and less likely to be distracted by the emotions and thoughts of others. Not being in control means that you will feel that events happen to you and are outside your personal control or influence.

Commitment

Being committed means being able to effectively set goals and consistently achieve them without distraction. If you have a high commitment score you are an individual who is good at establishing routines and habits that encourage your success. Being low on commitment means you are more likely to fail struggle to set goals and targets and effectively prioritize. Such an individual would also find it difficult to focus and might be easily distracted by other people or competing priorities.

Challenge

Challenge is an individual’s drive and adaptability. Being high on challenge means that you are driven to be as good as you can be and to always achieve your personal best. Such a person sees challenges, change, adversity, and variety as opportunities rather than threats. Being low on challenge means that you view change as a threat. You are likely to avoid new and challenging situations for fear of failure or wishing not to expend what you perceive will be a wasted effort.

Confidence

Confidence is the extent to which you believe that you can perform productively and proficiently, and influence others. To be high on self-confidence means that you believe that you can complete tasks that other individuals with similar ability, but lower confidence would think are beyond them. Such individuals will view setbacks whether internal or external as a walk in the park. The flip side is also true, individual low on self-confidence will be unsettled by setbacks and have a low view of themselves.

What is your Mental Toughness Score?

Review yourself honestly using Turner’s Four C’s. How good are you when it comes to control – are your emotions dependent on others or are you comfortable within your own skin? Concerning commitment are you capable of setting goals, prioritizing tasks and meeting your targets? Are you a person who sees challenging time as opportunities or threats? And finally do you have high self esteem and confidence in your abilities?
These mindsets enable you to increase your quality of life, reduce stress and anxiety and enable you to weather any storm that comes your way. The four C’s are timeless and will serve anyone regardless of age.
Beyond the 4 C’s of mental toughness, there are some habits that would also contribute to your resilience and toughness. In 2014, US admiral William H McRaven delivered a commencement speech at the University of Texas that went viral. He told the 2014 class that if they wanted to change the world then they needed to make their bed every morning. Small and seemingly insignificant habits like making your bed, saying no to peer pressure, eating well could positively change the rest of your life. In the same way that a few small mistakes and toxic habits could harm you.
I would encourage you to watch the Commencement speech that US Admiral William H McRaven gave. In it, he gives nine principles he learned during Navy Seal training that helped him overcome different challenges in his Navy Seal’s training, long Naval career, and also throughout his life.
In summary, here are a few daily habits that would also increase your mental resilience and toughness:

• Exercise and fitness
•  Eating healthy
• Sleeping well
• Self-awareness – talking about your feelings or journaling
• Having a healthy perception of counseling
• Social interaction and having a strong support system
• Avoiding drugs and alcohol
• Self-discipline

The post Why the COVID-19 Pandemic is a Good Time to Develop Mental Fortitude appeared first on Heroes For Change.