Webster’s dictionary defines resilience as: The ability to bounce back after being stretched, bent or compressed. In human terms this means being able to roll with the punches, never taking criticism too seriously and getting right back up after a fall. If you aspire to BE more resilient here are seven key qualities you ought to know:
1. Enhance your ability to cope with stress. Exercise, meditate and/or practice yoga. Doing any one of these activities helps you reduce stress, but when you make any one of them a part of your daily routine it will help you prevent stress. That’s the resilience concept in a nutshell.
2. Stay flexible. Trees that don’t bend in the wind will eventually break. Learn how to stay flexible or you may breakdown too. Being flexible means: not getting stuck in your old ways, being willing to compromise and embrace change.
3. Seek support. Friends, family, co-workers and counsellors can help you weather any storm. Whether you’re having trouble financially, feeling depressed or having relationship problems, tell the people in your support network exactly what is going on in your life. Remember: A problem shared is a problem halved.
4. See setbacks as temporary. Try your best to move through times of crisis knowing that eventually you are going to come out OK on the other side. It just takes time.
5. Nurture an attitude of gratitude. Before going to bed at night make a mental list of at least three things you have to be grateful for. Gratitude is one of the basic underpinnings of happiness and stress resilience.
6. Develop your spiritual resources. Strong spiritual beliefs are a great antidote for stress. When you truly believe that everything happens for a reason, your stress resilience is going to go sky high.
7. Take action. Don’t let your problems cripple you to the point of inaction. When you’re under stress, take any step that moves you forward even if it is only a “baby step.”
Stress resilience is about facing stress head on and looking at stressful situations as opportunities for growth. Your stress builds character and naturally engages your problem-solving ability. When you see stress in this way – as a challenge instead of a roadblock and as a problem that needs to be solved – you will begin to appreciate life more and overcome obstacles that only temporarily get in your way.
Things you can do to improve Stress Resilience
- Build
your coping resources.
Meditate and/or exercise on a regular basis. - Be
flexible.
Inflexible thinking can lock you into old unproductive patterns of behaviour. - See
setbacks as temporary.
Trust that you’ll come out OK on the other side of a crisis. - Nurture
an attitude of gratitude.
Make a mental list of everything you have to be thankful for before you fall asleep at night. - Take
action.
Don’t let your problems cripple you to the point of inertia or inaction.
For Resilience Training see: https://eapassist.com.au/resilience-training/