Have you ever wondered how people deal and cope with difficult life changing events?
Losing a job, a death of a loved one, injury or trauma, chronic illnesses, relationship breakdowns and natural disasters are some examples of events that people may experience in their lifetime.
It’s understandable that most people react with an overflow of emotions to the unknown. Once the shock and immediate reaction settles, people generally have a certain ability to be able to adapt to these events and manage these experiences with strength and courage. Resilience is a key factor that helps people to face adversity and overcome it.
Resilience refers to an individual ability to be flexible, adaptable and maintain a stable equilibrium. Resilience allows you to maintain a positive sense of well-being in light of turmoil that life presents at times. Resilience is something that can be developed and fostered overtime and involves our thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
Here are 10 tips to consider when trying to build up your resilience:
Remember your strengths - Try to focus on your strengths in difficult situations, this can help to draw on our past experiences and adaptability which would allow us to cope better in situations.
Embrace change - In doing so allows you to accept the situation easier. in turn helps to engage in problem solving of situations that can then be managed.
Self-care – Engage in activities that help you to recharge and relax. Such as going for a walk, eat healthy, exercise, get adequate rest, be around others, self-soothing etc…
Improve positive coping skills - develop skills to assist with helpful coping strategies such as challenging negative thoughts, mindfulness of emotions and engaging in meaningful activities.
Learn to put things into perspective – remember to take a step back and avoid catastrophising the situation.
Interact with others – stay connected and nurture your relationships with people around you. Take help from other people as this allows you to be well supported and connected.
Encourage acceptance - of the situation by radically accepting it. This allows a sense of openness and willingness to cope with the present moment.
Nurture a positive view of yourself - practice self-compassion and have a positive outlook on yourself. Do this by asking yourself “what would I say to a friend?” and try to adopt the same kindness towards yourself.
Create goals - developing short term and long-term goals helps to recognise the values and what is important to you which gives you something to look forward to and work towards.
Experience the moment - being mindful of the present moment allows you to limit worrying about the future or dwelling on the past.
If you would like some help to identify the emotions you are experiencing and support build or remind you of your Resilience toolkit to successfully navigate these challenges, feel welcome to book an appointment with me or one of our team. Your mental strength is our priority!