Give me a break

This morning I took a few minutes out and I learned from a couple of bright ideas to share. For looking at stressful times. Unfragile systems and PTG.

Followers will know I like an "un" in front of words. Unheard, unspoken, uncommon sense, uncontact, unconference. (Ping me if you want the presentation about uncontact or read the article here. ) So adding a new un to my vocabulary came easy.

What's an unfragile system? - It's one that bounces back stronger when you stress it, try to break it. Like a superball that bounces higher, when you drop it.

You've heard of PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder. It's what you get from stressing a fragile system or human. You've probably not heard of PTG. Post traumatic growth. It's what you get from trying to break an unfragile system.

An example of an unfragile system is your body. In the gym, you make your body tire to get stronger. Or a vaccine, making your body strongly resist a bug from a tiny attack of the bug.

And apparently you're twice as likely to get PTG if you are aware it exists and if you create the right conditions. Namely:

1) Recovery time between stresses. Stress isn't the problem as in the gym example. Lack of recovery is what results in injury. Micro, mid and macro levels. Coffee break, good sleep, holidays.

2) Purpose. "If we have a what for (why), the how becomes possible" Nietzsche. A wide topic in itself. Little purposes as well as world changing ones. Being a kind person each day, solving world hunger.

3) Relationships. Meaningful not superficial. Quite possible through screens as much as in real life.

Simples.

With thanks to JLA for hosting the webinar and to Tal Ben-Shahar of the Happiness Studies Academy for presenting the ideas