The last few years have seen so much unexpected change. Some things have returned to how they once were. Some aspects of our lives are a thing of the past, and will remain there. Although some of these changes are welcome, any transformation takes a bit of getting used to.
We’ve all experienced changes to our daily way of life, the way we interact with others, and how we work. For some, the shift to working from home has been the biggest change, and even though the flexibility it brings has been a positive, a lack of interaction and connection with others can weigh over time. For others, the shifts that have happened during the last few years have seen changes in both work and home dynamics that have come before we’re fully prepared for them.
It’s fair to say, our resilience has been tested. The good news is resilience can be developed. While we may be changed by adversity, we are not defined by the hurdles we face. With each hurdle, there is an opportunity to become stronger and more resilient. The ability to come back as strong or even stronger is what defines resilience.
While the changes we have seen due to the pandemic and it’s ripple effects may not come around again quicky, we are likely to continue to face challenges and setbacks in our lives. We’ve compiled some helpful tips that can help you to build your resilience and rise again and again.
How Full is Your Glass?
Be positive. Look at the big picture. Seeing the glass half full and being hopeful about the future allows you to see any setbacks as temporary. It sounds trite, but it’s true. Aligning your thinking towards positive outcomes in which things will get better eliminates unnecessary worry and stress about outcomes that may never eventuate.
Know Your Strengths
By understanding what your strengths are and talking them up to yourself, you can easily draw upon them to help you overcome any challenges. You can also add to your strengths. Research has shown character strengths such as gratitude, kindness, and bravery can be important in supporting resilience.
No One is an Island
Make and build meaningful relationships. Maintaining strong personal networks and knowing when to reach out for personal or professional support means you don’t have to go it alone when you hit a stumbling block. Support from others can help alleviate negative emotions and provide resources for strategies to move forward.
Develop a Growth Mindset
Psychologist Carol Dweck researched the importance of mindsets, in particular a growth mindset in which “people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point.”
A growth mindset brings the helps you respond well to setbacks with a belief that you can persevere, and work to overcome challenges. When things fail to go as planned, you see it as an opportunity to learn and grow.
To learn more, you can watch Carol Dweck talk about developing a growth mindset here.
Reframe Your Story
You are the narrator of your own life story. A story in which you play an active role as master of your destiny, rather than accepting things happening to you, provides you with the impetus to write or rewrite the next chapter in your life. Telling a story which separates the problem from your sense of self allows you to move forward and take positive action.
Learn Effective Techniques to Reduce Anxiety
The stress or anxiety that come with any adversity or change is unavoidable. It is a natural response when things aren’t going well. There are techniques you can learn to help you manage your responses to stressful situations and these can help to not compound the problem and better deal with the situation. This is individual to everyone and could mean better sleep, meditation, exercising, getting out in nature or talking to someone. Find out what works for you and make it a part of your life.
Resilience cannot be tested in the absence of hardship. We hope these suggestions help you develop your resilience now and into the future.
As always, please let us know if there are any particular topics you would love us to look into or you have any queries or feedback.
