What is your natural reaction when things go wrong? Are you someone to bounce back from a setback, or do you fall apart easily? If you’re looking for ways to develop more resilience, this article has you covered.
Life does not come easy, and ups and downs are inevitable. Everyone experiences setbacks and stressful and life-changing situations from time to time. It may be any challenge, such as losing your job or losing a loved one.
If you lack resilience, you may think a lot about the situation, which can overwhelm you. You may turn to unhealthy and harmful coping mechanisms such as substance abuse or overeating. Of course, resilience can’t solve all of your problems, but it can help you emerge from trauma and handle stress better.
If you are not naturally resilient, you can develop resilience over time with simple strategies.
What is Resilience?
A person can adapt to difficulties in life and their recovery. In simpler words, it shows how you deal with challenging situations and bounce back from them.
Resilience can also be the difference between maintaining your cool and losing it. Resilient people are better at handling pressure and coping with stress effectively.
While some people are born with a resilient personality, you can also learn it.
Why Is Resilience Important?
Resilience is made of three essential elements:
Challenge
People with resilience view their difficulties as a challenge rather than an unmanageable situations. They refuse to see a challenging situation negatively reflecting their worth.
Commitment
Commitment towards their life goals is common among more resilient people. The commitment applies to all aspects of their life that they care about, such as their relationships, religious beliefs, work, etc.
Self-Control
Resilient people focus more on situations under their control rather than complaining about ones they have no control over. When you have resilience, you are more likely to put effort into situations that can impact them most. This, in turn, makes you feel more empowered.
The qualities mentioned above of resilient people have the following benefits:
- With resilience, you have a more optimistic view of the future. Resilient people do not find it hard to envision brighter days.
- They also have more concrete goals and strong determination to achieve them.
- Resilience does not allow you to give the opinion of others much thought. Therefore, resilient people refuse to give in to peer pressure.
Ways to Build Resilience
If you’re not naturally resilient, you can train your mind for that mindset. Here are some ways you can build resilience.
Build and Maintain Strong Relationships
Take time and effort to connect with people who share the same interests as you. These may include your friends, family members, and even your neighbors. You can join a physical group or participate in virtual ones.
Building and maintaining strong relationships can help you feel more connected. This way, you can develop better resilience to the challenges in life.
Learn to Relax
It is important to have a relaxed mindset to develop more resilience. Taking care of your body and mind can help you cope with stressful situations in a more effective manner.
Not to mention, difficult times can also affect your physical and mental health. You can start by improving your sleep cycle by deciding on a dedicated sleep routine. Or, you can also learn relaxation techniques like meditation.
View Setbacks as an Opportunity to Grow
View setbacks as an opportunity for growth to develop resilience.
You only notice how strong you are when going through a rough patch in life. It also surprises people at times when they find themselves to be much stronger than they thought.
With resilience, you can bounce back from a challenging situation and learn new skills for overcoming it or avoiding it in the future. Resilient people turn setbacks into experiences that offer self-discovery and growth.
Maintain a Healthy Perspective
Your thought process largely affects your emotions and feelings. If a situation makes you feel defeated, the root cause may lie more in the way you think than the situation itself.
Therefore, it is important to identify irrational thinking and replace it with logical thoughts. Resilience can help you be more realistic and maintain a healthy perspective.
While you can’t change the events, you can certainly control your response.
Bottom Line
Resilience helps you cope with challenging situations in a much better manner. This protects your mental peace and prevents bad decision-making.
You can become resilient by connecting with people, taking care of yourself, and changing your perspective.
Paul Strobl, MBA, CPC
Owner of Confide Coaching, LLC
Paul is a Master Life Coach for GenX and GenY executives and business owners. Originally from Houston, Texas, he has been location independent for most of his adult life. He currently resides in the Rhodope Mountains of Bulgaria near the Greek border with his brilliant wife, 13-year-old stepson (officially adopted in 2021!) and a Posavac Hound rescue.
