Covid changed us. It impacted not just the individual but all of our current systems (i.e., hospitals, businesses, schools, government, etc.) Technology has also created massive change and constant demand to adapt to the latest innovations. Today, one of the most relevant and important skills to thrive is being resilient. So, what exactly does that mean in this day and age? Resilience is about the capacity to grow, adapt, and thrive in the face of adversity. Inevitably, life is about rising to meet our challenges, seeing their opportunities, and then finding creative solutions. Resilience is all about the ability to bounce back in the face of adversity. It’s about developing skills to maintain your mental well-being, stay focused, and keep moving forward against the obstacles. Resilient people nurture and grow a set of skills and attitudes that enable them to navigate through the ups and downs of life with emotional grace and purpose.
The Importance of Resilience
Resilience is not just about overcoming challenges; it has also been linked to happiness, success in one’s chosen profession, and overall balance in one’s life. Research has shown resilient people are able to manage stress better, build stronger relationships, and ultimately achieve both their personal and professional goals. Resilience provides the skill set needed to adapt to this constantly changing world full of uncertainty. Research has shown being resilient lowers depression levels and can even protect our physical health.1 Developing a resilience skill set and nurturing it throughout life is one of the best ways to pursue success in all areas of life while also maintaining some balance. Resilience is all about bending and not breaking!
Strategies for Building Resilience
Build Relationships in all areas of Life
If Covid taught us anything, it brought to the forefront how relational we all are. Since the pandemic, there have been new research inquiries into the place that relationships hold in resilience. So far, they have found relationships hold great power in developing resilience and tackling different obstacles in life. Covid taught us resilience is a team sport. Here are some of the ways a well-developed network of people can help us navigate challenges in life:
- They help us see a way forward
- They help us learn to laugh at ourselves
- They provide ideas and options as part of the problem-solving
- They provide perspective on situations we are too close to
- They provide empathetic support so we can release negative emotions
- They give us the courage to push back and self-advocate
- They can help when there are work surges to divide up the load
These are just some of the benefits of having a healthy network of relationships to call upon when life gets tough. Understand, however, that these are not shallow surface relationships. It is worth it to put some effort in and make these relationships authentic connections. When the going gets tough, these connected, authentic relationships are the foundation of support, resources, and solutions to the challenges.
Expanding Your Network
Take an inventory of your personal and professional life and your current connections. Examine how you can nurture those relationships and keep them current. Identify the places you need to expand relationships and the individuals you can begin to get to know and include in your resources. Developing a network is an ongoing process throughout life, but the more resources you have (i.e., authentically connected to others), the more resilient you become in whatever life throws your way.
Cultivate Adaptability and Flexibility
Create and practice a mindset of remaining open and gathering all information before forming opinions.
Develop Emotional Intelligence
Learn how to recognize and manage your emotions effectively. Understand your emotions, where they are coming from, and how they show up. When you know yourself like this, you can navigate some of the worst storms with grace.
You Are Not Alone
Resilience requires patience, practice, and tenacity. Since Covid, the importance of building and maintaining your connections has never been clearer. For many of us, the challenges and setbacks of the last several years have been relentless. Know you are not alone. We all have to tweak how we think about things and how we do things to function successfully in an ever-changing world. And remember, counseling is a great place to learn about and develop emotional intelligence and flexibility if you are stuck on where to begin!
