2020 continues to be a monumental year for many who continue to face their fair share of struggles. Nothing like a global pandemic to bring forth trying times in all areas of one’s life and have them feeling discouraged, hopeless, anxious, and downright weakened to their core. Sometimes it can be difficult to see past the challenges you’re facing and remind yourself that strength can come from struggles. To hold steady through the negativity and remain positive. Like strength training, the body must be met with a certain level of resistance to adapt and grow stronger. Resistance in this case: the struggle.
The extreme but perfect example of struggles creating strength, is ‘Hell Week’ of the Navy SEALs BUD/S Training, a purposely grueling week to weed out those not brave or strong enough to endure life-threatening challenges for 5 straight days and nights on a total of 4 hours sleep (you read that right). It takes a rare breed to go that distance but the SEALs, like many other military branches, recognize that struggles make you strong and furthermore, those who seek them become even stronger. I have nothing but respect for SEALs, but personally I love getting quality sleep so will opt for other strategies instead.
Keep in mind that we’ve all experienced struggles along the way. When we're met with a level of resistance that causes us pain/a threat, be it emotional, mental, spiritual, physical, or the mix, than we have a natural biological reflex to fight back; a survival mechanism in the amygdala of our brain which controls the ‘fight or flight’ response. The cascade of neural commands and hormonal reactions are what create the internal changes we need to meet the perceived outside threat; again, the struggle.
To put it very simply, when we’re met with resistance or something in our way, we find a way to overcome it! We begin to condition our minds into a higher state creating a type of roadmap within us. This allows us to work through a similar challenge with more ease and efficiency due to familiarity and past experience. This roadmap is essentially a neural pathway. A connection of synapses from one region of the nervous system to another in order to execute a command. If you ask someone who has experience with cold therapy (where they expose themselves to freezing temperatures for a prolonged period of time), they will tell you that it becomes more tolerable with practice. The temperature might never change but their adaptability to be resilient to the external stress does. The acting hormone and neurotransmitter that is responsible for this phenomenon is norepinephrine. This demonstrates that our bodies will create the internal environment that’s needed to become stronger against the resistance/struggle.
Lastly, remember how great it feels when you conquer something that seemed formidable or even insurmountable. There’s a sense of pride and confidence that comes from coming out on top; an inner belief in your capabilities and faculties.
It’s important to remember that struggles and challenges are a natural and critical part of the human experience. They are the contrast and resistance that push us to evolve. Staying in your comfort zone can lead to stagnating your full potential. So, embrace the struggles! If you can hold a position for yourself that you’ll become stronger by working through the resistance, than you’ve already begun to disarm the struggle. Of course, you already have what it takes inside of you, and often it takes a challenge to bring that ferocity forward, but don’t be afraid to ask for help when you really need it. There’s no shame in building yourself up to overcome the struggle…in fact, the Nave SEALs would tell you it’s a proven strategy
In strength,
Coach Ty,
Ty Woolner
Ty is the founder, CEO, and head coach of Holistic Strength. He lives in Toronto, Ontario with his Fiance Hilary, and their toy poodle Elu. Ty is devoted to improving the lives of others by using strength as a catalyst for overall well-being, and to help his clients, students, and community members reach their highest potential.