All of us experience stress in our lives at times. We have challenges that appear in our work or relationships. We become emotionally upset about a situation we experienced. We become sick or care for someone else who is ill.
But some people seem to recover from these situations more easily than others. Why?
They tend to be more resilient.
What is resiliency?
Resilience is the ability to adjust as you move through challenging situations, recovering and returning to a place of balance. Nature is a great example of resiliency. We see green grass and new trees sprouting in a forest recovering from a fire. We see animals return to the area they fled during the fire.
We’re more resilient in life when we’re open to change, even unexpected change. But sometimes change can feel uncomfortable and even scary! This is natural.
Most of us usually prefer what’s comfortable and what we know and expect. But it’s when we get out of this comfort zone and are presented with a change on life’s journey that we learn, grow and evolve. We’re given an opportunity to think critically, be compassionate and take inspired actions that help to transform ourselves and the world. As the Dalai Lama says, “It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for yourself and others”.
To strengthen your own resiliency, focus on cultivating these in your life:
- Establish healthy habits as a foundation. When you build healthy habits of good sleep, healthy food, movement, time in nature and more that support your health and well-being, then you create a solid foundation that gives you strength for the unexpected changes that arise.
- Reflect and learn from the past. As you reflect and learn from past experiences, you become more skilled at responding to new situations.
- Become aware in the moment. When you tune into your thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations, you become more informed about how you can respond, not react, to a situation.
- Know your gifts. If you’re aware of your skills and talents, then you’re able to tap into them when you’re presented with the unexpected.
- Be open to the new or different. Although we may feel more comfortable with the known and predictable, remaining open to the new allows us to experience more opportunities, more possibilities – including ones we never even imagined.
- Know what supports you. When life is challenging, knowing what helps you to feel more grounded, calm and secure can help you return to balance more quickly. Many turn to family, friends and spirit guides for comfort and support. Our favorite activities or practices can also be a source of strength. Whether you prefer a walk in nature, painting, meditation, listen to music or something else, knowing what makes you feel better when you’re stressed can be a key to coming back to balance.
- Be hopeful and optimistic. We know that what you put your attention on grows. If you’re filled with negativity, your fears and frustrations grow. When you remain hopeful and optimistic, then more positivity grows. This does not mean ignoring the reality of a situation. It means staying in a hopeful state as life unfolds in all of its ups and downs.
Being resilience doesn’t usually mean resisting what has arisen but means becoming more aware of what the situation presents and consciously choosing our response. This often means accepting it, taking care of yourself as it unfolds, becoming aware of the learning or growth that is possible and responding with actions that most support your highest good in the situation. In doing so, we’re able to return to a state of balance more easily.
