Resilience building: a key component of mental wellbeing
It has been six months since you got your dream promotion. Let's say you're acing your new job and you're always on time with your submissions, and your boss is impressed.
Everything is on track.
And then fine one day, you happened to stumble and hit a big roadblock. Suddenly all those dreams and hopes seem so far away and you feel like you are somehow incapable of achieving them.
You’re sitting at your desk flooded with thoughts like “Am I even cut out for this job?” and the monologue with yourself goes on and on until you reach the point where you say “Ok, I've had enough! This is not for me, I need to quit!”
You see this is precisely where you have to make a huge decision for yourself. Either to pack everything up and leave or, to stay and keep your eyes on the price.
This is something we call “resilience building” in the world of mental health.
So, what is “resilience building”?
Well, according to the American Psychological Association, - “Resilience is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands."
It's hard to check in with our mental health in this life journey and lots of challenges and difficulties test it. From losing a job to the death of a loved one or something that's even a global crisis, at times it can put us to the test. It's okay to feel overwhelmed, it's normal.
Building resilience is similar to donning mental and emotional armor, allowing you to tackle life's obstacles more positively and constructively.
Resilience is more than just returning to your former condition; it is about learning and growing from the experience, emerging even stronger than before. Someone who has learned the skill or the art of being resilient is better equipped in the face of difficulties and trying times.
These individuals deal with stress, anxiety, and depression in a particular fashion and they tend to maintain their overall mental health in a certain way.
Let's see how to do it
The best part about this is that resilience is not an inherited talent. It is something learned and cultivated over time. It's not about, “bite your teeth and move on” or “smile and get over it” nor is it about finding ways to dodge a setback or a bad day at work.
Working towards building resilience, is the process by which people improve their ability to reframe mental patterns and use a strengths-based approach to overcoming problems. And since it's a process, it takes time.
That's why we put together 5 simple ways you can do it.
- Being self-aware: Understanding how you generally respond to stress and adversity is the first step towards building adaptive techniques. It is also about understanding your strengths and knowing your weaknesses.
- Having a positive outlook: Make optimism a habit. It is not easy but it doesn't mean it can not be done. Maintain a development mentality and focus on the good sides of things. Have faith in your abilities to overcome obstacles.
- Set goals, but realistic ones: When confronted with a challenging circumstance, create attainable objectives and focus on the measures you can take to achieve them. This will give you a feeling of direction and purpose.
- Develop coping strategies. Several coping techniques can assist in dealing with stressful and difficult situations. Journaling, reframing ideas, exercising, spending time outside, socializing, improving sleep hygiene, and engaging in creative outlets are among them.
- Your connections: Establish strong social connections to help you become more resilient. Strengthen your existing social connections and build new ones.
Conclusion
Resilience is a key component in mental well-being, enabling individuals to face life's challenges with grace and strength. By cultivating self-awareness, building support networks, practicing mindfulness, and maintaining a positive outlook, individuals can enhance their mental well-being and thrive in adversity.
Investing in self-care and taking the time to rest and recover are also important parts of resilience and will help individuals cope with life's stressors. Finally, it is important to seek help whenever needed.
Professional support can help you navigate deep-rooted issues and develop better coping strategies. Building resilience often requires the guidance of a therapist or counselor.