Our lives have been brought to a halt due to coronavirus and hopefully many of us are coming to the worst of the shock. It may seem like an eternity ago, but it has only been a few weeks. We now have an opportunity to take a step back and reflect so we can enhance our personal resilience.
When there’s so much that’s out of our control, it’s human nature to feel anxious and scared. The one thing we do have control over is how we choose to respond. Will you give in to the panic? Or will look within and find your inner strength?
Defined as “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties,” resiliency is what will get us through these scary and difficult times. The faster we can overcome these challenges, the faster we will make it through to the other side.
The good news is that resilience is a skill you can develop over time. Here are three mindset shifts to strengthen your resilience muscle:
Look for the upside
Try to get a broader perspective on your current situation. There’s always a positive takeaway, no matter how dismal things may seem.
Perhaps you’ve started pursuing a personal project you’ve put on the back burner. Or maybe you’re using this time to get into really great physical shape. This is a great time to press pause and think about what we can do to become better versions of ourselves and contribute to the world in a more meaningful way.
What are the silver linings in your life? What are you grateful for? Make a list and look at it each morning as a reminder.
Choose faith over fear
Let’s be honest: the hardest part about all of this is the uncertainty and the powerlessness that comes along with it. We don’t know what’s going to happen and that’s terrifying. When will it end? Will my family and friends stay safe?
To overcome this mental block, let go of control. Accept that it’s okay to be afraid and you can’t know everything. Rather than living in fear, have faith that you will get through this. Focus on the things you can control and stay in the present.
Develop healthy coping strategies
Resilient people understand the power of their daily habits. They are extremely disciplined when it comes to protecting their mental health and have numerous coping strategies to manage stress.
For example, try getting into a morning workout routine. Yoga is scientifically proven to lower anxiety and depression. When you start your morning on a positive note, it will set the tone for the rest of the day.
Start a gratitude journal. There are many mental and physical health benefits of practicing gratitude: reduces stress, improves sleep, boosts empathy, and increases mental strength– all things we need now more than ever!
According to a study published in NeuroImage, “a simple gratitude writing intervention was associated with significantly greater and lasting neural sensitivity to gratitude – subjects who participated in gratitude letter writing showed both behavioral increases in gratitude and significantly greater neural modulation by gratitude in the medial prefrontal cortex three months later.”
In other words, the more you practice being grateful, the more it becomes ingrained in your mind. Your brain will literally rewire itself to embrace this mentality and you are more likely to choose gratitude over stress or anxiety in the future.
Rewire Your Brain for Resilience
When you think back to the toughest times of your life, you probably doubted you could get through it. Thinking about the future probably paralyzed you with fear. But here you are. You made it.
It’s very powerful to think about life from this perspective. Reflect on the challenges you’ve overcome and the battles you’ve won. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.
Vybrante Ventures is now enrolling for From Fear to Fearless in Times of Crisis, a 5-week virtual coaching program to help high performers regain control of their lives. Contact us at vybrante.com for more information.