My physical therapist really pushed me this week. I tweaked my neck and shoulder and now need twice weekly appointments to get my strength back. I started thinking about the concept of time under tension (TUT) that strength and conditioning coaches discuss. Readers know that I spend a lot of time talking about self awareness and the difference between our reality and our ideal. I wonder: what about your personal growth when you are fatigued — is there such thing as personal growth “time under tension?”
What is Time Under Tension?
Basically time under tension refers to the amount of time a muscle is kept in tension during a workout. Typically this occurs during the eccentric (or lengthening phase) of muscle movement, for example, when you push the bar up on a benchpress. The strategy is to slow down through this movement and to pay attention to breathing, proper alignment, etc., especially during the most difficult part of the movement. Scientists debate about the physical results but there are also a lot of studies that support it’s usefulness.
Can Personal Growth Utilize Time Under Tension?
What I’m wondering about this week, however, applies to our personal growth? Can we capitalize on the difficult situations we face to slow down, breathe, build awareness and alignment, and focus on building our personal growth muscles in the midst of the hard stuff? Normally when I face difficult stuff I want to race right through it. Instead of embracing it, and even contemplating it or journaling about it, I want the hard thing to go away. I find something to distract myself and “narcotize” the negative feelings. If I practiced time under tension, however, I would slow down, and focus on what I’m doing and what is happening. I see a few potential ways to practice this concept in personal growth.
Stay Aware
When tough things come your way do you seek distraction? Practicing time under tension requires bringing your attention fully to the present. Sometimes that means journaling your thoughts and feelings, or discussing with a friend or spouse how you are doing in the moment. Are you recognizing that you have had a hard day, or feel unsure of what you are doing, or maybe personally attacked by someone? Naming your present can help you discern the next best step. The cost of not being in touch with how we are feeling and what we are thinking often means saying things we regret, or making impulsive and unhealthy decisions.
Stay Grounded
When you work out physically practicing time under tension you stay connected to a firm foundation. Body aligned and maintaining proper posture. Similar with personal growth. Staying grounded means staying focused on your core values. Keeping important relationships front and center. Pursuing your faith practices that nourish your bigger picture, that fuel your purpose and connect you to a spiritual vision for your life. Stay grounded.
Embrace the Hard
A friend of mine once said, “you know, sometimes you just gotta embrace the suck.” That is, count up the cost of suffering and realize the old cliche’ “no pain no gain” actually does ring true. No question that suffering is mysterious, and God never wants us to just embrace suffering for suffering’s sake — especially if it’s some kind of injustice that we experience. But there is a redemptive side to suffering, and many lessons come through fire. A wise early elder of the church once said “ Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:2-5).
Ask yourself, “how can I embrace the hard thing I’m experiencing and what can I learn?” You might find your perspective changed a bit.
Question: Is there something hard in your life right now that you can reap personal growth from with a “time under tension” mindset?
Leave a note in the comments or send me a message if you found this helpful or want to add to the conversation! As always, let me know if I can help you on the path to your best self.
With joy in the journey,
Jeff
“Embrace the Suck” LOL, a term I have heard so many times in the Army. As I grew up and started to fall on hard times, I did not pray to be skinny or for things to make my life easier, I simply prayed for the strength to endure a difficult life. As sad as that may sound I’m grateful I made that prayer several times as I’ve encountered several hardships in my life but I have managed to pull through all them. When I fall on hard times now I put everything through what I call my “war filter”. Not many things make it through my war filter which is to say if anything is troubling me or I encounter any problem where I start to feel myself get upset… I pause, put the data into my war filter and think:
Am I getting shot at? Am I in eminent danger of an IED going off? Am I worried about the enemy flanking me? Will I survive this? Will see or talk to my family today?
If I can answer all those questions to my satisfaction then my war filter has done its job. That helps keep it all in perspective for me.
To your point though, it also helps keep me in the moment where I need to be in the hopes that I can learn something from this experience. Sadly, I do not mind paying for an education on lessons learned and unfortunately, I have paid for a few doctorates LOL! But as long as the education continues it’s all good, right?
I enjoyed this post and thinking about the concept of Time under Tension in regards to life circumstances. I think this can absolutely be applied to difficult times we go through. I wonder if the pandemic has been a kind of extended “time under tension” moment for many of us. Also, sometimes even wonderful circumstances (a birth, a marriage, etc.) can be at the same time incredibly joyful and also a “time under tension” moment as we adjust to a big life change that requires us to grow and adapt.