Have you ever noticed how some people seem to be able to overcome any tough stuff life throws at them? At the same time, do you ever feel less capable than others to bounce back from similarly tough situations?
This comes down to resilience.
Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficult circumstances or life stressors . As humans, we all possess a certain level of resilience to help us cope with the stresses of day-to-day life and other unexpected circumstances. However, some people are more resilient than others due to their own unique lived experiences, personalities and/or focus on building resilience skills.
Learn to be more resilient
Resilience is a life skill. Just like patience or forgiveness, you can learn to be a more resilient person. Like any skill though, practice makes perfect. Becoming more resilient requires a certain level of training and work to help you improve your skills.
Benefits of resilience
Aside from being able to bounce back quickly from negative experiences, people who are more resilient enjoy other benefits, such as:
- Improved self esteem and overall satisfaction with life.
- Decreased rates of depression and anxiety.
- Decreased symptoms of chronic stress such as high blood pressure, weakened immune system and heart disease.
- Feeling a greater sense of control in one’s life.
How to build resilience
Depending on your starting point, it can take some time to see significant progress. We all learn new skills at our own pace, and our ability to be resilient has a lot to do with our own history, upbringing and personal experiences. Here are some steps you can take right now to become more resilient:
-
Make a commitment
Just like a new training schedule, you will need to make a commitment to build your resilience. You can do this by setting aside concrete time in your day to practice resilience. For example, you might dedicate ten minutes in your morning routine to focus on resilience exercises. Or if you are working with a therapist, you can identify resilience as an area of focus for your care.
-
Set a realistic goal
By setting a goal such as “next time I receive negative feedback at work, I will not let it ruin my entire week,” you will be able to know if you are making positive strides to be more resilient. If you start to notice that negative feedback only affects you for a few hours, you’re making progress.
-
Practice resilience
Resilience is a skill that requires practice. You can practice being more resilient by reading books or online articles, asking for help from a friend or family member or working with a therapist or other health provider to learn more effective strategies.
-
Rely on your relationships
When you’re struggling with a negative life event, it’s normal to want to isolate. However, this is when you need your friends and family the most. Reach out to your network of family and friends and let them know about your goal to become more resilient. They can help you by validating your feelings and letting you know you’re not alone. If you don’t have these types of relationships in your life, you can build them by joining a support group, team sport or other social activity.
-
Engage in self-care
By taking care of your body through exercise, proper nutrition, and good sleeping habits, you are strengthening your body against depression and anxiety, which make us less able to cope with stress. Activities like journaling, mindfulness meditation and yoga can also build resilience because they can help you focus on the positive aspects of your life, instead of dwelling on the negative ones.
Are you ready to start strengthening your resilience? Check out iHealthOX’s collection of mental wellness resources to get the support you need.