Building resilience parallels the process of muscle building - it necessitates time, dedication and patience.
Resilience is fundamentally about mental tenacity; it gauges your reaction to challenging life events. In particular, it's how you manage your thoughts, emotions and actions when faced with internal or external stressors, according to Jeff Temple, PhD, a licensed psychologist and the Director for the Center of Violence Prevention at the University of Texas Medical Branch.
Also important to note is that resilience isn't an innate characteristic – instead it can be incrementally developed over one's lifetime.
Finally, Temple provides guidance on strengthening resilience in order to harvest its associated health benefits.
Advantages of Cultivating Resilience
Life is full of unavoidable challenges, but how you grapple with these obstacles is an aspect fully within your power- a reaction that potentially impacts more than just your immediate emotions.
Exemplifying this: A study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in May 2022 proposes that individuals equipped with efficient coping mechanisms, high resilience and emotional intelligence are likely to enjoy superior overall wellness compared to those who possess lesser degrees of resilience.
Furthermore, as per the Mayo Clinic, there's a strong correlation between resilience and fending off mental ailments like depression or anxiety.
Moreover, enhanced resilience can serve as a counterbalance against negative occurrences frequently associated with arising mental health conditions such as distressing incidents or bullying. Fostering resilience can augment one's capacity to tackle adversities effectively which allows you to maintain functionality despite facing hardships.
"We comprehend that exposure to trauma and an overwhelming amount of stress - be it mundane everyday stressors or singular traumatic encounters - might result in deteriorating physical and mental health. We also realize everyone will go through stressful events while numerous individuals endure trauma," comments Temple.
In conjunction, he elucidates– elevated levels of resilient characteristics enhance one's capability for bouncing back after stressful situations. This diminishes the adverse impact on ones' wellbeing caused by excessive stress including PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), anxiety, depression among others.
Building Resilience Strategies
Building resilience is akin to following a workout regimen - by partitioning it and focusing on different sections (or aspects of one's existence).
There are four fundamental elements in establishing resilience, as stated by the American Psychological Association (APA): constructive thinking, well-being, bonding, and objective. Let's understand these factors better and discuss how mental health experts can be supportive.
1. Promote Healthy Thought Patterns
Actively fostering healthy thought patterns is a useful tool in managing your emotional state when faced with internal or external stressors.
Temple outlines these approaches:
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Cultivate a positive attitude: Not all life situations are comforting, but identifying the silver lining can serve as an effective coping mechanism during tough times. Make it a habit to identify something positive midst challenging conditions. "Those who have navigated through difficult circumstances and established an ability to handle them often show more resilience towards upcoming stress," says Temple.
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Alter pessimistic thoughts: Maintaining optimism may seem impossible at times. During such instances, attempt altering negative viewpoint. Affirming "I will never get past this" can be shifted to: "Once this phase concludes, I'll come out of it stronger than before."
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Maintain perspective: At times, when completely consumed by adverse situations, remind yourself that whatever you're experiencing (and however you're feeling) is transient and not indicative of what lies ahead in your journey. You may not possess power over modifying the stressful predicament at hand, but you do hold control over how you perceive and react to it.
2. Place Importance on Your Physical Wellbeing
Stress is not just a burden on the mind but also affects us physically. An effective strategy for building resilience, as emphasized by Temple, involves looking after your physical health. Our body and mind are interconnected - what impacts one also influences the other.
Essentially, maintaining a routine of healthy activities can result in an improved mental state.
Temple suggests implementing these steps:
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Make sure you get sufficient sleep: The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society advocate that adults should aim for at least seven hours of sleep each night to achieve optimal health.
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Commit to regular exercise: As outlined by the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults should target at least 150 minutes of gentle exercise per week (like brisk walking or biking), or 75 minutes of more intense activity (such as running or HIIT). To make this easier, try splitting it into smaller sessions such as five 30-minute workouts during the week.
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Consume wholesome foods: Aim towards primarily eating whole foods rich in nutrients like brown rice, quinoa, lean proteins like beans/poultry/fish, fruits and vegetables while restricting processed choices like chips/crackers/pre-cooked meals which may harm your health.
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Limit alcohol intake: Alcohol should only be consumed responsibly; too much consumption could negatively affect you leading to potential regrettable decisions with nobody feeling their best following overindulgence. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that adults aged above 21 restrict themselves to no more than two alcoholic drinks in a day.
By cultivating healthy habits and routines, you can physically and mentally strengthen your resilience to stressors. According to the APA, this can reduce the impact of emotions such as anxiety or depression.
3. Embrace Mindfulness
Being mindful entails consciously focusing on the current moment and granting your thoughts and feelings acknowledgement without passing judgement or acting impulsively, as per American Psychological Association stipulates.
Developing an understanding for mindfulness equips us with skills necessary to effectively manage circumstances that call for resilience. "Famliarizing ourself with strategies to relax, be present in the moment or purely practicing deep breathing can enhance our capacity to maneuver through stressful situations," implies Temple.
Moreover, it's not merely limited to typical conducts like yoga or mediation. While they might be beneficial, there are several other techniques incorporating mindfulness that yield effectual results:
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Journaling: Document persistent doubts and address them yielding insight into written expressions.
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Deep Breathing: Commit yourself to extensive respiration practices such as 4-7-8 technique. Herein inhale taking four seconds' time upholding breathe for seven seconds followed by exhalation lasting eight seconds; recapitulate cycle minimum four times (stretch if you find it helpful), preferably twice a day.This particular mode of concentrated respiration can aid in real-time situation enabling focus fostering mindfulness despite existent stress.
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Nature Walks : Take time off from routine tasks embracing nature; ensure gadget free surroundings aiding mental peace.You may even turn this practice into strolling meditation.
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Soothing Music : Listen tracks which incite positivity calming your nerves thereby.
4. Maintain Social Ties
Improving resilience doesn't have to be a solo endeavor. In truth, keeping in touch with the support of loved ones and fostering new, valuable relationships can greatly impact how one handles stressful or traumatic life situations, according to Temple.
"Spending time and connecting with empathetic individuals can bolster your resilience," Temple proposes.
This could involve regularly planned calls or video chats with distant family members, initiating "partner dates", making plans for meals or adventures with friends, or becoming part of an entity such as a religious community, volunteer corps or even running club.
Correspondingly, looking into membership within support groups may be worth considering especially if someone is undergoing unique challenges like bereavement or long-standing illnesses. The APA emphasizes developing relations with understanding companions who reassure you that you do not face difficulties by yourself.
5. Reach Out For Assistance When Necessary
Don't hesitate to seek guidance when you require it. Cooperating with a mental health expert, such as a psychologist, will aid your journey towards acquiring greater resilience.
A counseling professional can assist in pinpointing and challenging your pessimistic thoughts, while providing support in implementing changes that foster resilience.
"Remember that being resilient doesn't imply you won't face stress or hardship," asserts Temple. "It merely prepares you to adapt and manage these scenarios more effectively."
If therapy is new for you, garner advice on how to locate a suitable therapist, discover cost-effective counseling options and understand the queries to ask during an initial consultation.
