Toughness Training for Life
by James E. Loehr, The Penguin Group, 1993
Introduction
I first read this book in 1993. I found it to be a useful application of methods used to train professional athletes for the rest of us. The book proposed that instead of focusing on stress reduction--which in today's world is pretty impossible--we need to focus on toughening up in order to handle more stress and be "healthier, happier, and more productive."
I grabbed the book again a few years later after a particularly stressful experience that I was scheduled to repeat in just a few days. That weekend, I devoured the book voraciously and set about applying every relevant lesson I could. Although still unpleasant, my second stressful experience was a dramatic improvement over the first.
The book is currently in my pile of books to revisit as we begin the second year of a time that is testing the resiliency of everyone we know.
Synopsis
The author defines toughness as being flexible, responsive, strong and resilient in three life areas: physical, mental and emotional. Physical toughness and mental toughness together produce emotional toughness. Toughness training exposes a weakened individual to positive challenges of sufficient intensity to cause adaptation to higher levels of stress through alternating cycles of energy expenditure (stress) and energy recovery (rest).
Review
This is an immensely practical and scientifically-based system based on many years of work with professional athletes. Reading the book over a weekend, I was able to apply very specific physical, mental and emotional strategies to my stressful experience. I also gained some insights that I’ve incorporated into my regular routine. It deserves revisiting given how much life has changed in the past year.
Takeaway Ideas
"You can start your body chemistry moving in whatever direction you choose by directing your thoughts that way. Equally important, the more you practice this skill, the better you become at it."
"While you can't directly control your feelings, you can control your thoughts. Control the direction and content of your thoughts, and you will exert considerable control over how you feel."
"In almost every situation, being able to laugh puts you in emotional control."
Check it out and let me know how useful you find the book.
P.S. If you haven’t read my related blog post, you can check it out here.
You can also take a look at another useful book I’m currently reading: Peak Performance, by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness.
Thanks for reading. If you like this blog post, sign up for my newsletter, right here. Or forward this to a friend and invite them to sign up.