We looked at resilience as the ability to bounce back after a difficult moment in life. Resilience is a skill that can be learnt, built and strengthened over time. Below are some of the pointers that can help you in building resilience.
- Connections – Having caring, supportive, valuable relationships is crucial in helping you thrive during difficult times. These relationships can be family, friends or groups. However, they need to be healthy relationships that keep you grounded and influence you positively.
- Mountains versus Mole hills – How you interpret a stressful situation determines how easily you can navigate and get out of the situation. You can change how you interpret and respond to stressful events. If you magnify a problem than it actually is you become more drained and feel like you require more energy and resources to go through the problem. Avoid seeing crisis as insurmountable problems.
- Change is a part of life – For you to navigate positively through change you have to understand and accept that change is part of living. The only thing that is constant in life is change. If you lose a job, a loved one, an investment accept that you cannot reverse the situation and look for the next move.
- Have solid goals and a desire to achieve those goals – If you have a goal that you really want to achieve no amount of setback will stop you from chasing that goal. Move towards your goals, take charge – do something regularly, no matter how small, that enables you to move towards your goals.
- Be decisive; Take a stand – When you go through a difficult time you are the only one who can push yourself through. Your connections will only offer support in the process. If you are having financial distress, troubled relationship you have the final word. You need to analyze the situation and make a decision. Do not detach yourself from the problem or try to wish it away. Take a stand.
- Reinvent yourself – Look for opportunities for self-discovery. Difficult moments give you a chance to discover a side of you that you never thought of. You do not know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice that you have. Be open to new things and new way of doing things. Difficult moments give you a great chance to grow in a different way.
- Have a positive view of yourself – In every move you make in life confidence plays a major role. When going through difficulties remind yourself that you are capable and have what it takes to make it through. Remind yourself of situations that challenged you before and made it through. Develop confidence in your ability.
- Keep a long term perspective – avoid focusing on the situation as it is now. How do you want your life to look like in the next five or ten years? Visualize what you want (goals) rather than worry about or focus on what you fear or what you do not have. A mental picture of your goal will keep you focused and motivated to go through the setbacks that come your way.