We all experience points in our lives where we face challenges, difficulties and issues. Often, we are told by friends, “Be strong, you’ll get through this,” or “You need to be more resilient”. But what does that mean, and how can we achieve it in a practical sense?
In essence, being resilient means being able to adapt and bounce back when something difficult happens in our lives. It is the ability to once again pick ourselves up after trauma or a painful experience.
There are several ways that we can develop more resilience in difficult or stressful events within our lives. Learn more about how you can improve your resilience and why it is the key to turning challenges into successes!
The extent of our ability to take stress-inducing situations in our stride and endure hardships has really been put to the test for last few years. Both at work and in our private lives, the pandemic has increased the daily challenges we face, having a significant impact on our health, relationships and financial circumstances.
We know that there are people with strong resilience who survive and thrive despite such difficult situations. But what makes a person resilient and can it be built up?
Resilience is typically defined as the capacity to recover from difficult life events. “It’s your ability to withstand adversity and bounce back and grow despite life’s downturns,” says Amit Sood, MD, the executive director of the Global Center for Resiliency and Well-Being, creator of the Resilient Option program, and former professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Resilience is not a trampoline, where you’re down one moment and up the next. It’s more like climbing a mountain without a trail map. It takes time, strength, and help from people around you, and you’ll likely experience setbacks along the way. But eventually you reach the top and look back at how far you’ve come.
1. Assess your current position
Take a step back and understand the situation you’re in. Are you in the place you want to be? What’s on your ‘To-Do’ list? Are you doing it for yourself or someone else? By asking yourself questions like these, you can gain insight into your needs and priorities, which helps to put everything into perspective. You can then see where you might be spending excessive energy or putting yourself under unnecessary stress.
2. Set SMART goals
Setting realistic, achievable goals for yourself has significant benefits. First, it helps you focus and gives you a sense of purpose, secondly splitting big tasks into several smaller goals makes them much more manageable, and last but not least, it gives you something to celebrate. It will prevent you from feeling overwhelmed and, by tackling tasks one step at a time, can make roadblocks much easier to navigate.
3. Acknowledge your failings
A lot of us fear making mistakes or being rejected. But resilient people see failure and rejection as stepping stones towards their goal. They’re something to acknowledge, to grow and learn from, not something that’ll stop you in your tracks. As Thomas Edison famously said, ‘I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.’ Seeing past mistakes and failings in a more positive light, and as necessary steps to get closer to your goals, demonstrates resilience. Charlie Mackesy created a book (He says he created it instead of writing it) – “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” – packed not only with beautiful illustrations but also with a beautiful story showing how you can take different perspective to life in order to be more resilient. We recommend it with our hearts.
4. Take care of your wellbeing
When things seem to be going downhill, it can be all too easy to neglect your own needs. Losing your appetite, ignoring exercise and not getting enough sleep are all common reactions to pressure. This is not only detrimental to your physical wellbeing but also your mental health. By taking care of your own needs, you will protect your overall health, boost your resilience and be fully ready to face life’s challenges.
Resilience is what gives people the emotional strength to cope with trauma, adversity, and hardship. Resilient people experience stress, setbacks, and difficult emotions, but they tap into their strengths and seek help from support systems to overcome challenges and work through problems. One of your support systems could be our Programs. We will provide you with continuous support and reflection impulses so you gain clarity, confidence, resilience and take the decisions and steps that will give your personal life and career the direction you want. Click here to learn more!
Get new perspectives and find the solutions that work for you! We know it is a tough process! And we will show you how to follow through and how to get there. Save Time & Money with our targeted, fresh & crisp Coachulting Online Programs!
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