Adaptation to new circumstances is a key feature of resilience. Essential factors in developing resilience are having a supportive emotional network, feeling confident in yourself and your abilities, and using problem solving skills. [2] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source
Tracking your feelings in a journal is a good way of seeing how often and, more importantly, why you feel frustrated or upset. Once you see a pattern, you can decide where to focus your energy.
You don’t have to be superhuman. Emotional avoidance can actually work against you by building up stress below the surface. Suppressing your pain can backfire and diminish your sense of well-being. Allow yourself appropriate time to sit with your emotions and acknowledge and feel them before moving on. Sometimes, just sitting to have a good cry or breathing through your anger is the necessary first step. [6] X Expert Source Julia Lyubchenko, MS, MAAdult Counselor & Certified Hypnotherapist Expert Interview. 29 April 2020.
If you don’t sweat the small stuff, practice mindfulness, and stay healthy, you will be stronger to deal with hard days.
Practice asking for constructive feedback from friends or trusted coworkers. Provide them with an aspect of your life that you feel safe using as a topic, and ask them to constructively critique you, so that you can become accustomed to receiving and using feedback to your advantage. For example, have a colleague look over a spreadsheet you create at work and ask for input on how to improve it to make your work more efficient. Or, cook your favorite dish for a trusted friend and ask for his thoughts on your presentation and plating.
Develop your problem solving abilities. Write out what is bothering you, brainstorm how many different ways you can approach the problem, assess the pros and cons of each approach, implement an approach, and evaluate the outcome.
For example, if you arrived late for work one morning and your boss made a sarcastic comment, focus on the concrete aspects you can work on, such as punctuality, and ignore any hot-headed remarks.
An excellent way to practice becoming mindful is to sit quietly with a raisin in the palm of your hand. Feel the raisin’s weight. Roll it between your fingers and feel the texture and ridges. Smell the raisin. By focusing on the raisin, you are becoming truly mindful in the present. Apply this practice to everything you approach in life. If you don’t have a raisin, focus on your surroundings, your breath, and you physical sensations.
If you can shift your perspective and view things at face value, you may realize that someone who missed a coffee date may not be trying to hurt your feelings but maybe had an unexpected emergency arise and forgot to phone you.
Keep a gratitude journal. Every night before bed, write down three things for which you are thankful. Review this list whenever life feels hard. [9] X Trustworthy Source Greater Good Magazine Journal published by UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, which uses scientific research to promote happier living Go to source
List the reasons you might be angry at yourself, then read the list as if you are observer and let the feelings come and go. Be kind to yourself. [11] X Research source Develop empathy for others. If you are feeling hurt by something someone else says or does, try to put yourself in that person’s shoes. It can be difficult to empathize with someone who’s just hurt your feelings, but considering his point of view and what he might be going through can be a calming, reasonable exercise. [12] X Trustworthy Source Greater Good Magazine Journal published by UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, which uses scientific research to promote happier living Go to source
Teach your children empathy. Increased empathy toward others decreases negative automatic thoughts and increases resilience. [13] X Trustworthy Source Zero to Three Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing resources to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a healthy start to life. Go to source
Laughter really is the best medicine. [15] X Research source Try some laughter therapy yourself. Watch “Patch Adams” or a funny movie that you love, or go to a comedy club with friends. [16] X Research source Look into laughter yoga. People all over the world are being trained to practice laughter yoga to heal the mind, body, and spirit.
Keep a private journal, write letters that you never send, or blog about the tough times.
Commit to social activities as a way of keeping connected. Find a meet-up or schedule a regular crochet chat with your friends, for example.
One of the most widely recommended dietary plans to follow is the DASH diet. The DASH diet, named for Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension, aims to control salt and keep blood pressure at a healthy level, especially important because hypertension (or high blood pressure) has been called ‘the silent killer. ’ By keeping your blood pressure under control naturally, you will be in a healthy state to deal with life’s struggles.
Doctors recommend getting at least 30 minutes of heart-pumping exercise a day, but you can even break that amount up into 10 minutes segments. Have a quick jog, climb some stairs, play a quick game of tennis, or go for a bike ride with the kids. Your heart and your mood will thank you. [20] X Research source
