Five Pillars of Resilience
Resilience is the ability to adapt well in the face of adversity. This means being able to recover and bounce back quickly from the difficulties we face. Contrary to popular belief, resilience is not a trait and doesn’t come naturally. It involves behavioural and cognitive change that can be learned and strengthened by practice!
Resilience is most effective when we actively participate in supporting our physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health every day. It is a process, not an outcome.
So what are the five pillars of resilience?
1. Take control
Focus on the things in your life that you still have control over to increase resilience.
Keep things in perspective by avoiding seeing a crisis as a problem and accepting that change is part of life.
No matter how small, notice the choices you can make in your life and follow through with them too - you can choose to exercise, eat healthily or even just get out of bed earlier in the morning.
2. Hopeful outlook
Have a positive view of yourself and a hopeful outlook towards life. This leads to a happier and more fulfilling life that tends to allow people to cope better with feelings like stress and anxiety.
Some attitudes and beliefs that are associated with resilience - optimism, personal control, and self-belief!
3. Community connections
People who are resilient stay connected with their community as it is important to have a good support system.
Humans are social creatures that are meant to be in a community. When we are stressed, the ability to bond with others diminishes.
Ultimately, by nurturing ourselves and controlling our stress response, we start to maintain positive emotions as well as better social connections and communication.
It can be as simple as chatting with your neighbour or having coffee with a friend.
4. Growth Mindset
Growth and wisdom can be learned through positive and negative life events that happen - it all depends on how we perceive them. No matter what we face, try to find ways to enhance happiness (looking at the bright side!)
This mindset will help you respond effectively to strong emotions. Thus, allowing you to start to take action to move towards your goals and strive for success.
5. Self-expression
Don’t limit yourself or think about how it looks to other people - explore and try different ways to express yourself. Look for self-discovery opportunities, be it, writing, painting, music or poetry. Trust the process and remember, the outcome isn’t important.
It is scientifically proven that when we write about our lives and thoughts, we strengthen not only our emotional health but physical health as well! Journaling trains you to share your joys and achievements as well as your worries and frustrations. With this, you can capture how your thought pattern works and identify the thinking traps that may act as roadblocks to achieving your health goals.
Cultivating these pillars will help build resilience. Working on these practices regularly will make sure you’ll have them when you need them most. All the best!
