7 Skills to Build Resilience
Resilience is a mindset. It refers to how well you can deal with and bounce back from the difficulties of life. It can mean the difference between Remaining Calm under a perceived stressful circumstance and losing your cool to the point of becoming out of balance.
Resilient people tend to maintain a more positive outlook and cope with stress more effectively. Whether you’re going through a tough time now or you want to be prepared for the next one, here are 7 skills you can use in order to experience and build your own resilience.
One: Remain Calm – Consciously Aware Living in the Moment
Know YourSelf
In our last podcast on the Future of Well-being it was suggested to ask yourself, “Who am I” ? When we are aware of who we are and why we are here, we develop the confidence from the inner knowledge of knowing. This builds the view of yourself and confidence builds. Research has demonstrated that our confidence plays an important role in coping with stress and recovering from difficult events. Becoming more aware of yourSelf, including your ability to respond to and deal with a a perceived stressful event, is a great way to build resilience for the future.
Two: Use Your Body As Feedback
Your Mind and Body are One
Research has shown that while some people seem to come by resilience naturally, these behaviors can also be learned. But what research has not revealed is that the mind and body are one, so if you strengthen and heal the body; the mind can become resilient. It is much more difficult to have a resilient mind if the body is struggling with pain and discomfort due to sickness and an unhealthy lifestyle. Working with the body by providing systematic lifestyle habits is the gold standard. In other words, How, when and what you eat, what you do for exercise and prepare for rest and sleep, produces significant outcomes on resilience.
Three: Accept What Is? (embrace change)
With Optimism
Flexibility is an essential part of resilience. By learning how to be more adaptable, you’ll be better equipped to respond when faced with a life crisis. Resilient people often utilize these events as an opportunity to branch out in new directions. While some people may be crushed by abrupt changes, highly resilient individuals are able to adapt and thrive. Staying optimistic during dark periods can be difficult, but maintaining a hopeful outlook is an important part of resiliency. Positive thinking does not mean ignoring the problem in order to focus on positive outcomes. It means understanding that setbacks are a part of life and that you have the skills and abilities to combat the challenges and obstacles you face. What you are dealing with may be difficult, but it’s important to remain calm and know that it is all temporary.
Four: Nourish Yourself
Nourish Your Body/Balance Your Mind
To build resilience requires a well nourished mind-body complex. This is especially needed because when you find yourself in a difficult situation, you mind will send a signal to your body to use its resources to protect itself. With that said, it is important that your reserves are well maintained. On the other side of this, a nourished body-mind complex does not perceive threats as often as someone who does not have the strength and stamina to withstand the tumultuous environment.
Focus on building your self-nurturance skills, even when you’re troubled. Make time for life meaning, the activities that you enjoy. By nourishing your own needs, you can boost your overall health and resilience and be fully ready to face life’s challenges. And you will be more able to serve others.
Five: Build Positive Social Relationships
Social Network Not Social Media
It’s important to distinguish between building a social relationship and social media accounts. A human being operates within the relationship she/he has with themselves which in turn extends out to other life forms. Expressing your feelings with another human being is far superior than posting on your favorite social media channel. In fact, social media will support the breakdown of human interaction and in turn, will decrease the minds resilience factor. Take time to cultivate a relationship with life and not a machine, it will be worth your time.
Six: Find Your Purpose in Life
Set the Intention
Knowing our purpose in life with a set intention will keep us in balance and on track when an obstacle or setback occurs. Keeping your purpose and intention on the forefront gives you immunity to stress. We can do this by learning to train our mind through the practices of meditation. Over time, your awareness of who you are and why you are here will become clearer and clearer.
Seven: Practice Your Skills
Life is a Practice, So Enjoy the Process
Resilience may take time to build, so don’t get discouraged if you still struggle to cope with problematic events. Everyone can learn to be resilient and it doesn’t involve any specific set of behaviors or actions. Resilience can vary dramatically from one person to the next. Focus on your strengths not your weaknesses and you will see overtime, they will override any weakness. By practicing these suggested skills, you will build on strengthening your existing strengths.
