How do you respond to stress, change or obstacles in your life? Do you rise to challenges or give in to them? Resilient people see life’s stressors and challenges as opportunities to grow rather than threats to their well-being. Resilience is a personal strength that allows you to handle setbacks, manage stress, overcome adversity, adapt to change and maintain a “never-give-up” attitude. It’s an inner strength that helps you deal with life while staying centered and balanced. Some people are lucky to be resilient by nature, but most people have to work at it! Try some or all of these tips to help you improve your resilience.
- Prioritize self-care. Make yourself your number one priority! Participate in activities that benefit your well-being such as staying on top of your healthcare, exercising and eating right.
- Manage stress. Find activities that help you relax to stay ahead of stress.
- Stay positive. Positivity is a powerful tool. It can help you cope with change, be more resilient and feel happier.
- Maintain social support. Spend time with family and friends who make positive contributions to your life—those who make you laugh and smile.
- Practice positive verbal and body language. Banish negative self-talk and stand tall. Say to yourself, “I refuse to put myself down, I am just different from (a certain person). I have my own unique qualities—and so do they.”
- Take an inventory of your strengths and pleasures and nurture them. Be confident in your abilities and personal strengths. Write them down to keep them top-of-mind.
- Focus on outcomes rather than the problem. Avoid dwelling on issues; instead, think about solutions to solve them efficiently.
- Practice gratitude. Be thankful for all that you have and appreciate the people in your life.
- Quiet your mind. Meditate to improve self-awareness and see things more clearly without judgment.
- Accept change. Recognize that the only part of change you can control is your response to it!
- Focus on the things you can change. Try to focus on actions that move you forward, even in some small way.
- Keep calm under pressure. Avoid losing your cool. Before dealing with a situation, count to 10 and then respond calmly. Aim to limit your emotional response.
- Learn from failure. Think about mistakes, slip-ups and failures as learning experiences to help you do better the next time.
- Be proactive. Recognize when trouble is ahead and address it before it becomes an overwhelming problem.
- Know when to seek additional help. Accept that sometimes you’re unable to deal with something on your own, and get others involved to help.
