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Resilience in 500 Words

“It’s not so much that we’re afraid of change or so in love with the old ways, but it’s that place in between that we fear . . . . It’s like being between trapezes.

It’s often so comfortable to stay where we are as its familiar, secure and easy. However, as with many things in life we might try to stay where we are but life has a funny way of forcing us to make changes. It’s human nature to resist change particularly when it comes in the form of adversity or challenges. Resilience- is the capacity to cope with stress and adversity it comes from believing in yourself and, at the same time, in something bigger than yourself.

Resilience is not something that people are born with; it consists of thoughts and behaviours, and actions and the good news is that it can be learned and developed by anyone.

Five Strategies to help build resilience

1. Keep your emotions in check

Try to maintain a positive outlook. Remember that much of what you’re facing is going to be temporary. Try to focus on the positives, how you overcame change before and that you can do it again. Resilient thinkers focus on what they can learn from their experiences.

2. Do things differently next time

Articulate what you expected to happen in the future? Be honest about what you hope for try to problem solve and think differently resilient people tend not to keep repeating the same mistakes again and again. They’re willing to be honest about why they failed and they take the time to think about what didn’t work

3. Pick yourself up, as many times as it takes

Resilient people understand that failure is not falling down but refusing to get up. They have the capacity to adapt successfully and the tenacity to never, ever quit

4. Keep growing

Life does not get easier or more forgiving; we get stronger and more resilient. Resilient people are constantly becoming braver and more courageous. They know that life is not what happens to us but what happens within us.

5. Reward the small wins

Resilient people believe in themselves. They work hard and take joy in the small wins that give them strength.

and Finally – Build relationships

Resilient people maintain strong and supportive relationships, both personal and professional. As a result, they have caring, supportive people around them in times of crisis.

At the end of the day it’s all down to your perception, and the filters and lens you view the world through. All we need to do is change the filters and open ourselves up to the endless possibilities that exist out there in the world!

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek”. BARACK OBAMA

Written by Alan Heyes, Founding Partner and Therapist at Therapy Partners. To book Alan as a therapist, please contact us.

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