Building Resiliency
Life has a way of throwing curveballs at us at the oddest times. Some people seem like these setbacks don’t even phase them, where others it is a struggle to get back on track. Of course some of that is dependent on what exactly the disruption is, but there are also proven ways to be more resilient when things don’t go your way.
In this article we will examine resiliency and provide some tips on how you can be more efficient at making lemonade out of the lemons in your life.
What is Resiliency?
Resilience or resiliency is defined as the capacity to quickly recover from difficulties. In laymen’s terms it comes down to toughness—a “bend, don’t break” mentality. Some people have a natural affinity for this whereas others need to work at it.
No matter where you fall on the spectrum, resiliency is a skill you can continuously build with experience and mindful practice.
Resilience Skill Building
1. Find a sense of purpose. When a crisis strikes, or life turns upside down having something that is a center of focus for you can help you get through. When you have a purpose it anchors you even when everything else feels like it is floating off in the abyss. Your “purpose” can truly be anything as long as it is deeply personal to you and something that gives you fire and light even in the darkest of circumstances.
2. Welcome change instead of fighting it. Change is inevitable and life is ever-evolving so why are you fighting it? Your resistance most likely isn’t going to change the ultimate outcome and probably is only making you more anxious and miserable. If you welcome the changes happening around you and embrace whatever challenges that may bring happiness will follow. Who knows? You may actually like the end result of the change better than how things were before, but you won’t know that if you can’t bring yourself to accept it.
3. Compile a strong circle. As we have mentioned in other articles, humans are very social creatures and thrive off of social interaction. We can’t completely survive by ourselves and need to have strong relationships around us that we can call on when needed. Having people you can confide in and go to for advice in times of crisis is important and will go a long way toward just how well you rebound from your setbacks.
4. Consistently practice selfcare. It is easy to get sucked into a problem and forget to take time to take care of yourself. When that curveball gets thrown your way the first things that often go are sleep, exercise and eating healthy. As tempting as it is to put those things on the back-burner it is important that you don’t. High stress situations are when you need those things the most not only to cope, but to keep you healthy enough to navigate the problem.
5. Always strive to improve. Yes, you have developed some high-powered coping skills. Yes, your resiliency level is superior. Yes, keep striving to learn new and better ways to handle the obstacles that life can present. The more you practice, research and develop your skills, the better off you will be in those high-stress situations. Resiliency is hard, even for those who come by it more naturally, but continuing to build the skill will keep you prepared for life’s worst.