We all have days when we feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and like we can’t take on one more thing. But as life throws curveballs our way, it’s important to be resilient. Resilience is the ability to cope with and recover from difficult situations. It’s an essential skill to have in order to survive and thrive in the face of adversity. So how can you become more resilient? Here are a few tips to help you become more resilient and bounce back faster.
Remember Resilience Is A State Of Mind
Many people think that being resilient means you never feel down or depressed. But that’s not true. You can actually be deeply sad and still be resilient at the same time.
Why?
Because sadness and depression are about the thoughts you’re having about the situation, while resilience is about how you handle the situation itself.
For example, it’s not uncommon for employees to become depressed and disengaged when their company goes through a major change (buyout, restructuring, etc.). In those first few weeks, people feel hurt and sad.
But once one of the senior leaders gets involved and starts fixing things, someone steps in and turns everything around. Suddenly, the same situation produces completely different feelings in people. One group remains depressed. The other is ecstatic!
Yet despite experiencing the exact same situation—or perhaps because of it—the two groups end up having drastically different reactions to the company and their jobs. One group feels resilient. The other doesn’t because they’re still moping over their lost friend or the anger they feel toward the leader who betrayed them.
The point is, it’s possible to experience the same feelings but has a different meaning about what’s happening, which creates a different state of mind and, consequently, different reactions.
So the next time you find yourself in a difficult situation, try to focus on taking action rather than worrying about how you’re feeling. Doing something—anything—takes you out of your head and into the world, where you have opportunities to learn more about what’s really going on and adjust your strategy. In other words, if you focus on taking action, you don’t have to lose or win; you can just learn.
How To Be More Resilient
When we are faced with a challenge or threat, our brains react by sending out a signal called cortisol. While this may seem like a negative response, it has kept us alive for many years by giving us the energy to either run away from danger or fight it.
In today’s world, however, there are fewer physical threats and more emotional ones. Although our brain’s automatic response hasn’t changed, in many cases it now pumps out too much cortisol, which causes us to feel stressed, tired, distracted and unable to think clearly.
Instead of always trying to avoid stress and challenges, think about how you can learn from them. Imagine a river carving out a canyon. The water keeps flowing and eventually finds a way. You can apply this idea to stress by saying, “Okay, I’m going to feel some cortisol, but I’m going to keep flowing and finding ways to grow.” This type of mindset allows you to approach challenges in a healthy way instead of avoiding them.
Summary
Despite the natural impulse to avoid challenges, it is important for companies and individuals to confront them. When faced with adversity, you should make an effort to go through it rather than around it. This will enable you to become stronger and more resilient. Although working through challenges can be difficult, focusing on the lessons you learn from them, in the end, will help you better deal with any future situations.