Have you ever wondered why some people can handle difficulties in their lives better than others? Have you noticed, some people seem to have the ability to just ‘brush it off’? It is because of a little thing called resilience.
Resilience isn’t really a little thing at all. It is a big thing, and it can play a huge role in the quality of our daily lives. Resilience is the ability to adapt to stress, adversity, trauma, or tragedy in our lives and somehow remain stable and maintain a healthy level of psychological and physical functioning.
We all live in a world of challenges, difficulties, and disappointments, but it is how we cope with these challenges that can impact our overall wellness. It would be unfair to say that we all experience these challenges or difficulties equally, as some have to overcome much more adversity in their world than others, but regardless…building resilience can be beneficial to everyone.
That’s right! You can build resilience. Resilience is not one of those fixed traits that you have to be born with. You can work on building your resilience, no matter what genetics you were born with or what you have dealt with in life.
It seems as though researchers have found that resilience has become a bit of a phenomenon when it comes to predicting whether or not individuals have the ability to ‘bounce back’ after studying it’s impacts in older adults and even in the elderly. We have the power to build our resistance and utilise it for the rest of our lives!
Life is full of ups and downs so it is important to build up resilience to prepare you for all the curve balls life may throw at you. Here are some helpful tips to build resilience.
- Avoid seeing crises or problems are insurmountable– Try looking into the future and see how a problem could become better instead getting overwhelmed.
- Accept change– Change could be hard to accept, but if you accept change, problems may seem less permanent, you may enjoy the “good times” more, and you can learn to let go of unattainable goals more easily,
- Maintain a positive outlook– An optimistic outlook in life can be very beneficial. Visualisation techniques can help you shift your focus onto looking for a positive outcome as opposed to worrying about what you fear.
- Zoom Out– Keep things in perspective. Is this going to be a big deal in 6 weeks, 6 months, 6 years? Sometimes keeping things in a broader context make them less overwhelming.
- Take Care of Yourself– Pay attention to your needs and feelings. Eat well, exercise regularly. Take time off, or time away. Do things that make you happy. Taking care of yourself can have monumental impact in your life.
- Build a Team– Ever heard the phrase ‘it takes a village’? As humans we are relational beings, surround yourself with a support team. This doesn’t mean that you need a big bunch of friends, but you need someone or a close group of people you can turn to in a time of need, or even just someone to vent to.
- Don’t be afraid of therapy.-Speaking with a professional shouldn’t have to be the last resort in a time of difficulty. A psychologist can help you build up your resilience and can help you continue on your journey of self growth. Professionals have a great way of seeing our strengths and areas of improvement, since they are outside observers in our lives. Don’t hesitate to speak with a psychologist to help you grow as an individual. To book in a time to speak to a psychologist contact us on (02) 6262 6157 or book an appointment online.
Related reading:
Positive Psychology 101
What is stress and how can it affect our body?