Resilience is our ability to bounce back from stressful situations in life.
Resilience is not about avoiding the stress, but learning to thrive within the stress.
Let’s talk about stress. Stress is caused by triggers. Something doesn’t go our way. Someone doesn’t behave the way we want them to. There’s a demand on our time to get things done at work. Each individual has their own set of triggers.
In Italian, when we’re stressed we say “You’re giving me agita!!”
We all have triggers. These triggers are connected to our emotional center, the amygdala, which is located in our brains. The amygdala controls our “fight or flight response.” It detects fear and prepares for emergencies. Basically, it’s the birthplace of stress.
Now…Believe it or not, stress can have positive aspects.
For instance, stress can help you meet challenges and can help motivate you to reach your goals.
How we perceive stress can determine its effect on our health and well-being. If we perceive stress to be negative, it can weaken our immune system and cause problems: high blood pressure, fatigue, depression, anxiety and even heart disease.
We all experience difficult moments in life. Being resilient doesn’t mean that these difficult moments go away. What it does mean is that we now have the tools to better cope with life. These tools increase our ability to bounce back from the stresses, trauma, and difficult situations that are a part of life.
Let’s talk about the five pillars of resilience: self awareness, mindfulness, self care, positive relationships & purpose. Sometimes we spiral out of control when we become stressed and by strengthening these pillars, we become more resilient. These five pillars work together to get us out of Crazytown.
1. SELF AWARENESS
Self Awareness is having a clear perception of your personality, including strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motivation, and emotions.
2. MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention of the present moment. When you’re mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad.
3. SELF CARE
Take care of yourself-physically, mentally and emotionally. Setting healthy boundaries is important to maintain resiliency. And don’t forget to add sleep in there! Right, Arianna Huffington?
4. POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS
Positive Relationships are the people who support and care for us — and we care for them. One of the most profound experiences we can have in our lives is the connection we have with other human beings.
5. PURPOSE
Purpose is a recognition that we belong to and serve something bigger than ourselves. Our purpose helps to shape the mindset and attitude we have toward others and the events we experience.
Last, but not least, let’s not forget about the importance of gratitude. Gratitude plays an important part in resilience. When we are grateful for what we have in life, we can turn to our gratitude in times of stress. We can reframe our thoughts and remember what’s important.
Adapted from https://www.bouncebackproject.org/resilience/