Jeanette Brown
In this wild, unpredictable roller-coaster ride we call life, the ability to bounce back from adversity is crucial.
It’s what keeps us standing tall, even when we feel like we’re about to crumble. It’s having the strength to get back up after we’ve been knocked down.
This quality is known as resilience, and the good news is, even if you don’t think you’re a very strong person, you can learn to be more resilient.
Here are 10 easy ways to build your resilience in this crazy world.
1. Embrace change
Change is the only constant in life, they say, and they’re right. Whether it’s moving to a new city, starting a new job, or dealing with a global pandemic, change is all around us.
Instead of being afraid of change, try embracing it. See it as an opportunity to grow and learn new things. This doesn’t mean you have to love every change that comes your way. Just be open to it and remember: every change brings new possibilities.
Next time life throws a curveball at you, instead of ducking away, try hitting it back.
2. Practice gratitude
In this rollercoaster of life, keeping a gratitude mindset can do wonders for your resilience. It isn’t about ignoring the bad stuff, it’s about focusing more on the good!
Every day might not be good, but there’s something good in every day. So, make it a habit to spot the silver linings. Start a gratitude journal or simply take a moment each day to acknowledge something good that happened.
3. Stay connected
We’re social creatures by nature, and having a strong network of friends and family can be a fantastic resilience booster. It’s not always about the number of people we know, but the quality of our connections.
Make time for your loved ones. Share your highs and lows with them. Their support, advice, and encouragement can help you navigate life’s storms with a whole lot more resilience.
4. Take care of your health
Did you know that your physical health can have a big impact on your mental resilience?
Studies show that regular exercise can help reduce anxiety and improve mood, which can boost your resilience.
So, make sure to take care of your body. Try to get regular exercise, eat a balanced diet, and get plenty of sleep.
Even small changes like taking a short walk during lunch or swapping out one unhealthy snack for a piece of fruit can make a big difference.
A healthy body leads to a healthy mind, and that’s one of the biggest building blocks of resilience.
5. Practice self-compassion
In this world where we’re often our own harshest critics, learning to be kind to ourselves can be a game-changer. It’s not about ignoring our faults, but about understanding and forgiving ourselves when we stumble.
Imagine a dear friend made a mistake. Would you berate them or would you offer understanding, comfort and encouragement? Now, why should it be any different when it comes to you?
Practicing self-compassion helps us accept that we’re human and it’s okay to have off days. It teaches us to pick ourselves up with kindness and grace after we fall, making us more resilient in the face of adversity.
Next time you’re being too hard on yourself, remember that you deserve kindness from yourself too.
6. Cultivate a growth mindset
The way we think about ourselves and our abilities can really shape our resilience.
Believing that we can improve and grow through effort and learning is called a growth mindset.
Cultivating a growth mindset can help us view challenges and setbacks as opportunities to learn and improve, rather than as insurmountable obstacles.
It’s a powerful tool for building resilience. You’re not failing – you’re just learning. As they say, failure is the best teacher!
7. Accept that pain is part of life
We’ve all been there. It’s the feeling like life has thrown us one too many punches. Wondering when we’ll finally catch a break. But the reality is pain is part of life.
Resilience isn’t about avoiding or denying the pain. It’s about learning how to live with it, how to work through it, and how to come out stronger on the other side. It’s about understanding that the rain is necessary for the rainbow.
Next time you find yourself in a storm, remember this: It’s okay to feel the pain. It’s okay to admit it hurts. Acknowledging the pain is the first step towards healing and becoming more resilient.
8. Keep pushing forward
Resilience is all about the ability to keep moving forward, even when things are tough. Did you know that Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, failed more than 1,000 times before he finally succeeded? But he didn’t give up. He once said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
This perseverance, this refusal to give up, is at the heart of resilience. Even when things seem bleak, keep pushing forward. Remember that every step you take, no matter how small, is progress.
9. Practice mindfulness
This one’s very close to my heart. A few years ago, I was juggling a high-pressure job, a demanding family life, and a constant stream of thoughts about everything I was doing wrong. It felt like I was spiraling and couldn’t catch a moment to breathe.
Then I discovered mindfulness – the practice of being fully present in the moment, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, without getting overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. It was a game-changer!
By practicing mindfulness, I learned to focus on what I could control and let go of what I couldn’t. This helped me manage my stress levels, stay calm under pressure and bounce back from setbacks more easily.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by life’s ups and downs, give mindfulness a try! It might just be the key to boosting your resilience like it did mine.
10. Learn to say no
We can’t do everything. And trying to can leave us feeling stressed out and spread thin. Resilience doesn’t mean saying “yes” to every request that comes your way.
Sometimes, it means having the courage to say “no”. It’s about knowing your limits and protecting your time and energy. So, don’t be afraid to set boundaries – it’s not selfish, it’s necessary.
At the end of the day, it’s important to trust yourself. You’re stronger than you think and you’ve got through every tough day life has thrown at you so far.
That’s proof enough of your resilience. Trust in your abilities to navigate through life’s storms.
There you have the 10 ways to build your resilience in this chaotic world. It might not always be easy but every setback is a setup for a comeback.
Resilience isn’t about never falling, but about getting back up each time we do.
So keep going, keep growing, and keep believing in yourself!
