5 Effective Ways to Boost Your Resilience

Have you felt that in face of stressful problems you are unable to calmly diffuse the situation and it takes you time to get over it? If yes, then you need to develop resilience which is the process of adapting to any adverse situation healthily and productively.

Simply putting, resilience refers to how good you are at handling difficult situations in your life and bouncing back from them. We all face difficulties at different points in our lives, it is all about how well we deal with the problem. Does it break us down or are we able to put up the fight? 

Why is being resilient so important?

According to research by KT Aboalshamat, individuals with higher resilience reported being happier and more satisfied in their life. Something we all aim and work towards to achieve. Another research by Michael A. Cohn stated that our higher resilience positively affects our mental well-being. AN increase in resilience leads to an increase in the experience of positive emotions and life satisfaction levels.

Not only this but developing resilience also helps us cope with adverse situations in a more sensible manner. It improves our mental well-being as we know that we can handle any situation. Resilience makes us emotionally strong, even if something goes wrong, we can manage it and bounce back to normal quickly. We do not let it affect our daily life much. Developing resilience makes us stronger and better at decision-making and problem-solving. Also, it helps to enhance our outlook towards life and realize what is important and worth fighting for in life.

We need to be resilient to be able to put up a fight that does not negatively affect our mental well-being. Sometimes different events in our life make us resilient, sometimes we need to learn it. Here are some ways to develop resilience:

Prioritize and strengthen your relationships

A healthy and supportive system of friends, family, and loved ones is the best way to develop resilience. Knowing that there is someone out there whom you can rely on and trust to have your back is very comforting. So prioritize and strengthen your relationships with your loved ones. Along with one-on-one relationships, some people find that being active in community groups, or other local organizations provide social support and can help you reclaim hope. Supportive and empathetic relationships offer you support and a sense of purpose or joy when you need it. Not feeling alone is a definite way to increase your mental well-being and resilience levels.

Indulge in self-care activities

Loving oneself and taking care of one’s physical and mental state is crucial to developing resilience. A person who takes care of their needs is in a better state to cope healthily against problems. So ensure that you indulge in self-care activities both physically and mentally. 

Journaling, meditation, or other mental well-being activities help you to focus on positive aspects of your life and recall the things you’re grateful for, even during personal trials.

Promoting positive lifestyle factors like proper nutrition, ample sleep, hydration, and regular exercise can strengthen your body to adapt to stress and reduce the toll of negative emotions.

Become proactive

You can develop resilience and increase your mental well-being by becoming more proactive. For becoming proactive one must simply put their thoughts and plans into action and execute them. Taking initiative will remind you that you can muster motivation and purpose even during stressful periods of your life, increasing the likelihood that you’ll rise during painful times again.

You can garner a sense of purpose, foster self-worth, connect with other people who can empower you to grow in resilience.

Be open and accepting of change

To develop resilience one needs to be open and accepting of change, be able to go with the flow. It is a part of being proactive in your approach to life as we need to understand that despite how detailed our plan is, situations might change and we need to adjust the plan according to that.

It is hard to be optimistic when life doesn't go as we planned. Maintaining a positive outlook and accepting the change will help you to deal better with difficult situations. Try visualizing what you want, rather than worrying about what you fear. It will give you the flexibility to change and grow while executing your plans.

Avoid a negative outlook on life

Another way to enhance one's mental well-being and develop resilience is to avoid having a negative outlook on life. We all make mistakes in life, some feel defeated and give up. Others learn from their mistakes and try again making sure to not repeat them. It is the second type of person who is resilient and gets ahead in life. So see setbacks and defeats as learning lessons and at the end of the day note down one new thing that you learned. This might help you to discover how you can respond effectively to similar situations in the future.

You can also refer to the resource library that can help you to manage negative thoughts and help to build resilience. Developing resilience can be difficult if you are facing an overwhelming situation in life and you feel like the world is crumbling down every second around us. In this case, professional help is just a click away.