Resilience is the ability to adapt well in the face of adversity. This means being able to recover and bounce back quickly from the difficulties we face. Contrary to popular belief, resilience is not a trait and doesn’t come naturally. It involves behavioural and cognitive change that practice can teach and strengthen!
Resilience is most effective when we actively support our physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health daily. It is a process, not an outcome.
So what are the five pillars of resilience?
- Take control
- Focus on the things in your life that you still have control over to increase resilience.
- Keep things in perspective by avoiding seeing a crisis as a problem and accepting that change is part of life.
- No matter how small, notice the choices you can make and follow through with them - you can exercise, eat healthily or even get out of bed earlier in the morning.
- Hopeful outlook
- Focus on the things in your life that you still have control over to increase resilience.
- Keep things in perspective by avoiding seeing a crisis as a problem and accepting that change is part of life.
- No matter how small, notice the choices you can make and follow through with them - you can exercise, eat healthily or even get out of bed earlier in the morning.
- Have a positive view of yourself and a hopeful outlook towards life. This leads to a happier and more fulfilling life that allows people to cope better with stress and anxiety.
- Some attitudes and beliefs associated with resilience - optimism, personal control, and self-belief!
- Community connections
- People who are resilient stay connected with their community, as it is important to have a good support system.
- Humans are social creatures that are meant to be in a community. When we are stressed, the ability to bond with others diminishes.
- Ultimately, we maintain positive emotions and better social connections and communication by nurturing ourselves and controlling our stress response.
- It can be as simple as chatting with your neighbour or having coffee with a friend.
- Growth Mindset
- Growth and wisdom can be learned through positive and negative life events - it all depends on how we perceive them. No matter what we face, try to find ways to enhance happiness (looking at the bright side!)
- This mindset will help you respond effectively to strong emotions. Thus, you can start taking action to move towards your goals and strive for success.
- Self-expression
- Don’t limit yourself or think about how it looks to others - explore and try different ways to express yourself. Look for self-discovery opportunities, be it, writing, painting, music or poetry. Trust the process, and remember, the outcome isn’t important.
- It is scientifically proven that when we write about our lives and thoughts, we strengthen our emotional and physical health as well! Journaling trains you to share your joys, achievements, worries and frustrations. With this, you can capture your thought pattern and identify the thinking traps that may act as roadblocks to achieving your health goals.
Cultivating these pillars will help build resilience. Regularly working on these practices will ensure you’ll have them when you need them most. All the best!