How resilient are you? When trouble comes your way, are you relatively good at bouncing back and finding your feet quickly? Or are you the kind of person who spends days, or even weeks trying to recover from the challenges that come your way?
Your resilience is a measurement of how well you can deal with difficulties in your life. While all of us struggle with upsetting events, like a death in the family or the loss of a job, resilience is what keeps us moving forward in the face of significant challenges.
Resilient people still get sad and stressed, but they’re more able to maintain a positive outlook and cope with issues when they happen. Unfortunately, while some people seem to develop resilience naturally, others struggle with achieving the same levels of grit.
The good news is there are ways you can build your resilience to ensure you’re ready for anything.
Build a Strong Network
Many people assume that being resilient means being highly independent and capable of managing anything without help. However, this isn’t the case. Needing to ask for support from time to time doesn’t make you any less resilient.
It simply shows that you know when you need to turn to others for help.
Having people you can confide in and lean on makes life easier. Whether it’s your family members, friends, or a therapist you trust, you should have someone you can turn to when life gets tough.
While talking through your issues with another person might not make your troubles go away, it can help you to get some of the stress and pain off your chest.
Believe In Yourself
Many of us are far too hard on ourselves. We spend all of our time stressing over the things we can’t do and don’t dedicate enough of our attention to what we can do.
Having confidence in your abilities is a good way to develop your resilience. After all, if you lose your job but know you have what it takes to get a new one, you’re much less likely to spend nights lying awake and worrying.
When bad things happen, list the characteristics you have which will help you to deal with those problems. It can also be helpful to replace negative thoughts with more confident ones.
For instance, rather than telling yourself you’re a terrible girlfriend after a break up, remind yourself that you’re a good partner and you just need to find the right person.
Embrace and Accept Change
Being resilient means being able to deal with sudden changes, no matter how worrying or complicated those changes might be. The unfortunate truth is that it’s impossible to prepare for everything that might happen.
Your entire world can change from one day to the next, so you need to be open to the fact that you don’t know what’s going to happen. Embracing uncertainty and being open to change is a good way to ensure you are as resilient as possible.
Remind yourself that change isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes it can be an avenue taking you to wherever you’re meant to be.
Be More Optimistic
Resilient people are often able to deal with challenging situations because they know how to look at the bright side. Although it can be difficult to maintain a sense of optimism during a dark period, learning how to look for the silver lining can be extremely helpful.
Even if you only tell yourself that the bad part will be over soon, it helps to boost your internal sense of strength and wellbeing.
Positive thinking doesn’t mean you ignore problems when they arise. Instead, it means looking at the whole situation and being open to positive interpretations. For instance, if you lose your job you could tell yourself that it’s an opportunity to seek out a career that will satisfy you more.
Learn How to Care For Yourself
No-one can effectively display mental and emotional strength when they’re struggling with their health. If you don’t look after yourself, you’re going to have a much harder time dealing with challenges when they arise. As easy as it might be to neglect your own needs when you’re stressed or overwhelmed, you should always make time to nurture yourself.
Set time aside for yourself at least once a week where you do something that’s good for your mental and physical health. Whether it’s just dedicating some time to relaxation or getting a good night’s sleep, every bit of self-care helps.