Building Resilience

When something goes wrong, do you bounce back or fall apart? Resilient people use their inner strengths to rebound quickly from setbacks or challenges. In contrast, those less resilient may dwell on the problem, feel victimized, become overwhelmed, or turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Working on your mental well-being is just as important as working on your physical health. Resilience doesn't make your problems go away, but it can give you the ability to see past them, find enjoyment in life, and better handle stress in the future. If you aren't as resilient as you'd like, you can teach yourself to become more resilient.

Tips to improve your resilience

Use the tips below to train yourself to become more resilient during hard times.

Get connected. Build strong, positive relationships with family and friends or others who provide support and acceptance. Volunteer, get involved in your community, or join a faith or spiritual community.

Find meaning. Develop a sense of purpose for your life. Having something meaningful to focus on can help you share emotions, feel gratitude, and experience an enhanced sense of well-being.

Start laughing. Finding humor in stressful situations does not mean you are in denial. Humor is a helpful coping mechanism, as it helps you focus on the positive aspects of any situation.

Learn from experience. Think back on how you have coped with hardships in the past. Build on the skills and strategies that helped you through the rough times and avoid the ones that did not help.

Remain hopeful. You cannot change past events, but you can always look toward the future. Find something every day that signals a change for the better. Always be hopeful that there will be good results.

Take care of yourself. Tend to your own physical and emotional needs and feelings. You can take care of yourself by:

• participating in activities and hobbies you enjoy.
• exercising regularly.
• getting plenty of sleep.
• eating well.

Keep a journal. Write about your experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Journaling helps you experience intense emotions that you may be afraid to express around others. It also helps you see situations in a new way and help you identify patterns in your behavior and reactions.

Expect and accept change. Expecting change makes adapting to, tolerating, and even welcoming it easier. With practice, you can learn to be more flexible and not view change with as much anxiety.

Work toward a goal. Setting goals helps you look toward the future and focus on moving forward. Do something every day that gives you a sense of accomplishment. Even small, everyday goals are important.

Take action. Take the time to figure out what you need to do in the situation, make a plan, and take action. Taking action is a great way to help you move forward, compared to wishing your problems would disappear or ignoring them.

Maintain perspective. We tend to exaggerate the negatives in our lives. It helps to look at your situation in the larger context of your life and the world. Keep a long-term perspective and know that your situation can improve if you actively work at it. These techniques help us realize that some things are as bad as they seem initially.

Stay relaxed. Gain an inner sense of peace and calmness by practicing stress management and relaxation techniques such as:

• Yoga
• Meditation
• Deep breathing
• Visualization
• Imagery
• Prayer
• Muscle relaxation