Building Mental Fitness

Guest Post by Saruni Meekisho

What a wild last 3 years.  Oftentimes (even still) it feels like I’m stuck in a toxic downward spiral on a personal, professional, cultural, and societal basis.  You name it, I went through it. 

And all too often it felt like I would take one step forward then be pushed back another five.  Can I catch a break?  When does life give me a break?  Is this all I have to look forward to?

The mind is incredibly resilient and fascinating.  It has a funny way of programming exactly what you need at any given time.  What I found I needed and valued more than anything was mental clarity. 

My mind was screaming the need to reset each day, and the best way for me to achieve that was by exercise/getting outside. Is it a surprise how many folks are more active today than just a few years ago? 

I found this especially fascinating as a golfer (how is the course packed at 11am on Tuesday?), then again maybe not so much considering golf courses were considered an essential business.

So I set about this journey for clarity and mental toughness.  Each day, I committed at least 45 minutes in the morning to get moving.  Walk around the block, jog the track, fresh air from my balcony, something…anything. 

What I found so fascinating during this time was how much sharper I was going into my day.  I felt clearer and readier to handle whatever chaos came at me.  I shared this epiphany with some close friends, who shockingly had similar experiences.  We started a “sports group,” which is just fancy speak for moving together and keeping each other accountable.

And the momentum started to build.  The flywheel effect was in full form.  I went from walks around the block to running 3-5 miles every few days and golfing the others.  What happened?  I had a strength and toughness I never knew was there.  Now I went from bracing for chaos to embracing it and flying above it. 

Physical benefits aside – better diet, more fit – I was frighteningly sharp mentally. I found myself being a better family member, friend, and teammate.  Sometimes you can’t see the growth personally, maybe you don’t want to.

In times like this and even now, I found the need for strong friends to lift me up and the only way to do that was to be that for them.  You are who you attract.

I guess now I find myself on this quest of daily self-improvement.  And this is not a fun habit, or even maintenance.  This is outright survival.  A bare necessity.  Mental fitness is not to be treated lightly. 

No better did I continue learning just how powerful this was until I restarted my yoga practice.  There’s a saying in golf where the things you fail to practice you need the most. 

Well yoga for me was my “short game and putting.” It allowed me a level of balance and stability from the physical nature of running and golfing (or to play out the analogy, bashing driver and long irons).  More importantly, it still provided me that outlet to maintain my mental fitness.

The past 3 years have not been easy. To some degree or another, this has forced the ultimate life reset.  If anything, I’ve learned the power of tending to my mental health.  And without it, I would have been on my continuous downward spiral.  Somedays it still feels that way, and it’s okay not to be okay. 

At least now outlets like yoga, reading, and golfing allow for that daily reset/recalibration.  Also, music…I have playlists ready for any mood (running, golfing, walking into work, prep before a big presentation, you name it).  That and a solid circle of friends to lean on/level up with.  What would you give for that peace of mind?  A few minutes of your day? 

For all that chaos we have to navigate daily, is that too much to ask?  Even on my worst day, I know I have circle of friends and family counting on me to show up for them and sometimes that’s all needed to try once more.

Everyone loves a story of growth and development amidst the daily struggles of life, especially those that are close to you.  If this helps at all in yours then writing this was well worthwhile.

Namaste.