6 Strategies To Develop Resilience
While building resilience is a long-term practice, it takes time to see progress.
Building resilience in challenging situations can be a difficult task, especially if you’ve been stuck for a while.
Here are 6 ideas that can help build resilience:
Make every day meaningful. One way to build resilience is to make every day meaningful by doing something that gives you a sense of accomplishment and purpose every day. It is also helpful to set clear and achievable goals to help you define your future with meaning¹.
Learn from your experiences. Another way to build resilience is to learn from past experiences. Consider how you’ve coped with hardships in the past; think about the skills and strategies that helped you through your difficult times².
Stay motivated in challenges. It is also important to maintain a positive outlook and stay motivated. Finding a sense of purpose can help you find meaning in life’s challenges. Instead of being discouraged and hopeless by your problems, with a defined purpose, you’ll be more motivated to learn from past experiences to keep going³. Additionally, building a support system and reaching out to others can help you feel more connected, validated, and supported during challenging times². Note that you need to find people who can meet you where you are and support your needs.
Invest in self-care. Investing in your self-care is crucial for building resilience. This includes taking care of your physical health by eating well, exercising, and getting enough sleep. It also includes taking care of your mental health by practicing mindfulness, meditation, breathing exercises and/or other stress-reducing activities⁴.
Be kind to yourself. This is not easy when you are going through something difficult, do your best to be kind. Give yourself permission to forgive yourself. Set realistic expectations and allow yourself space for mistakes along the way. Learn from your mistakes instead of beating yourself up over them.
Manage your own expectations. Expect that there will be ups and downs along the way; this is a part of the process. It is important not to get too attached to how things are going at any given moment, as this can lead to disappointment when things don’t go according to plan. Trust that everything happens for a reason; even if you don’t know what that reason is right now, with enough time things usually work themselves out in your favour.
Remember that resilience building takes time — there will be moments when it feels like nothing has changed and nothing has happened. Trust in the work that you are doing and notice the small shifts that are happening as you keep building and practicing resilience.
Sources:
1. Mayo Clinic. “Resilience: Build skills to endure hardship.” https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/resilience-training/in-depth/resilience/art-20046311.
2. HelpGuide.org. “Surviving Tough Times by Building Resilience.” https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/surviving-tough-times.htm.
3. Verywell Mind. “10 Ways to Build Resilience.” https://www.verywellmind.com/ways-to-become-more-resilient-2795063.
4. Psychology Today. “Emotional Resilience: 9 Ways to Be Resilient in Tough Times.” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/click-here-happiness/201809/emotional-resilience-9-ways-be-resilient-in-tough-times.
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