The Mindfulness Toolbox by Donald Altman

Author:Donald Altman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: The Mindfulness Toolbox: 50 Practical Mindfulness Tips, Tools, and Handouts for Anxiety, Depression, Stress, and Pain
ISBN: 9781936128860
Publisher: PESI Publishing & Media
Published: 2014-03-03T16:00:00+00:00

HANDOUT: IDENTIFYING STRENGTHS & STRENGTHS JOURNAL

Have you ever thought about the variety of personal strengths each of us possesses? Sure, it’s easy to ignore our strengths when feeling down or just trying to put one foot in front of the other. Fortunately, the everyday, ordinary strengths we have been using can help us to feel stronger—once we start to notice them! Consider that without using daily, ordinary, everyday strengths, we probably would not get through the day!

If you had to name three of your top strengths, what comes to mind? Would you be surprised to learn that you have numerous strengths, maybe dozens?

Finding strengths is an ongoing practice. It’s a very satisfying and realistic way of acknowledging our true selves—and viewing our experiences through a new set of lenses. Follow along with the instructions below to try on this unique pair of glasses.

Instructions:

Share your story of going to any recent appointment with another person (optionally, you can write the story down). Keep in mind that this can also be the story of going to work in the morning—even if you work out of the home.

For this story, you are going to go into detail regarding the following information:

Your Personal History—what history do you have about this particular appointment? If the appointment is early in the morning, do you have a history around getting up early, getting on the freeway, and dealing with traffic? Your history is anything from your past that is relevant to this appointment.

Stressors—what stressors had an impact on going to your appointment? Stressors relate to such things as your 1) sleep (did you get an adequate amount of sleep the night before), 2) nutrition (did you eat or skip breakfast, lunch, etc), 3) body (tiredness, hunger, illness, pain), 4) mood (mood and/or thoughts that affected your ability to get to your appointment), 5) habits (behaviors that either supported or made getting to your appointment more difficult), and 6) responsibilities (obligations related to others or yourself that you needed to attend to).

PART 1: Now, share this story with another, or write it in the space below.

______________________________________________

PART 2: Identify and circle your strengths using the list below. Remember that recognizing your strengths is not a form of bragging, but a way of realistically noticing where you are skillful and effective. This is not a time for humility, so don’t be shy about circling the strengths that are part of your story!

NOTE: If you are telling this story to another person, the listener does not interrupt, but listens with openness and empathy. After the story is completed, the listener’s job is as follows: To identify the strengths that are revealed in the story that is being told. If it is helpful, the listener can also draw upon the list of 50 strengths noted below.

adventurous

eagerness

humility

responsible

service-oriented

caring

understanding

hospitable to others

passionate

questioning

wise

curious

sensitive

flexible

perspective

detailed

patient

authentic

self-knowing insight

charisma

encouraging

compassionate

accessible

empathetic

faithful

listening

spiritual

playful

open

dignified

adaptive

prepared

honest

generous (with materials, time, & emotions)

concentration

courageous

collaborative

persistent

kind

accepting

loyal

spontaneous

contemplative

religious

practical

thoughtful

dedicated

balanced

purposeful

trustworthy

Reflections: How did it feel to identify—or have someone else identify—your strengths? Was it affirming, validating, or even empowering?

______________________________________________

How could you start to identify strengths as you go through

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