Are you Resilient? Master this skill to improve your wellbeing.
According to the American Psychological Association, “[r]esilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress”. In certain situations, resiliency means coping with very serious events. Other times, it means bouncing back from a tough meeting or an argument with a friend. We all must be resilient during our everyday lives no matter how big or small the situation is. In this post, we are going to talk about how being resilient through upsets in our daily life can have a tremendously positive impact on our health.
Coping with the small struggles of daily life is extremely important. The repercussions of facing change, adversity, or struggle without practicing resiliency is manifested as stress. As research has now strongly proved, poorly managed/chronic stress can be one of the root causes of illness. This stress can cause hormonal imbalances, digestive issues, psychological distress, weakened immunity, and cardiovascular problems.
The good news is that being resilient isn’t something that only some people are naturally good at. Resiliency is a skill that can be honed and practiced just like mindfulness, cooking, or playing the guitar.
We have come up with 5 strategies to help you build your resiliency tool box:
Building a strong support group
Family, friends, or anyone you feel safe and comfortable confiding in are important to building resilience in your life. They can offer love, support, and perspective on a situation. Having a shoulder to lean on makes a tough situation easier to break through to the light on the other side.
Talking to a therapist
Getting professional help from a counselor you trust and relate to can offer many personalized, clinically studied tools to help with thought patterns, triggers, getting a safe space to talk out and process your feelings, and receiving an objective, professional perspective. These abilities are vital to responding resiliently to situations that arise. While some correlate seeking help from therapy as shameful or stigmatized, we at PIM see this as a key piece of your integrative care plan.
Assessing Perspective
Your perspective on a situation can change the entire light in which you view it. This is essentially a lesson in stoicism. A quote from Shakespeare’s Hamlet clearly exemplifies this tip: “Things are neither good nor bad but thinking makes it so.” When we attach negativity to a situation it reflects in how we respond to it. The same happens when we shed positive light on things. While it is certainly better to see things in a positive manner, paying attention to your perception is crucial to how to deal with the situation at hand. Journalling can help reveal these patterns for you. If you need tips on how to begin this process, we encourage you to check out this article where we dive deeper.
Mindfulness
While mindfulness is another skill that can be developed just like resiliency, the beauty is that they go hand in hand. Being mindful of your emotions, feelings, breath, body, etc., plays a major role in rebounding from a difficult situation. There are many ways on can be mindful. For example, going for a walk, meditating, or making a mental check-in with yourself are all ways you can be mindful. If you are looking for a way to practice mindfulness AND resilience, you need to click here to learn about the 8-week meditation course we are hosting at PIM!
Heartmath
This incredible biofeedback tool allows you to practice what it means to feel like to be in a calm and resilient state. Using your heart-rate variability as a measure, HeartMath sessions give you the ability to recognize how your physiological responses to stress are impacting your body. Using Heartmath can actually allow you to change your heart rhythm patterns through practice which will allow you to elucidate a better stress response and feel comfortable knowing you know what it feels like to be at ease when distress arises. Check out our past blog about our HeartMath tool by clicking here.
PIM wants to hear from you! Do you have an experience with stress or need help overcoming a challenge? Do you find this article helpful? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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If you or your loved one needs help, perhaps you are suffering from the effects of ongoing stress, mood or hormone imbalance, including thyroid imbalance, or you or they are already working with a doctor to address a condition but want a more comprehensive, empowering approach schedule your a 20 minute free consultation or an appointment with Annmarie McManus, MMSc, PA-C, PT, IFMCP or Pat Lotito, MD today! Not quite ready to schedule and have questions,quickly get in touch with us today!
References:
Harvard Health Publishing. “Ramp up Your Resilience!” Harvard Health, www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/ramp-up-your-resilience.
“The Road to Resilience.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.