The Power of Resilience

Life is tripping us up? Resilience is what helps us bounce back when the going gets tough. The sun will come out tommorow, so take heart. If you are in your teens, one of the hardest life tasks is to become an independent adult. Resilient people accept responsibility for our life and our choices, and are in control of situations no matter how bleak they might seem.

10 Ways to Build Resilience
1 Make Connections. Good relationships with family members, friends or others are important. Accepting help and support from those who care about you and will listen to you strengthens resilience.

2 Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems. You cannot change the fact that highly stressful events happen, but you can change how you interpret and respond to these events. Try looking beyond the present to how future circumstances may be a little better.

3 Accept that change is a part of living. Certain goals may no longer be attainable as a result of adverse situations. Accepting circumstances that cannot be changed can help you focus on circumstances that you can alter.

4 Move toward your goals. Develop some realistic goals. Instead of focusing on tasks that seem unachievable, ask yourself, “What’s one thing I know I can accomplish today that helps me move in the direction I want to go?”

5 Take decisive actions. Act on adverse situations as much as you can. Take decisive actions, rather than detaching completely from problems and stresses and wishing they would just go away.

6 Nurture a positive view of yourself. Develop confidence in your ability to solve problems and trust your instincts.

7 Maitain a hopeful outlook. An optimistic outlook enables you to expect that good things will happen In your life. Try visualizing what you want, rather that worrying about what you fear.

8 Keep things in perspective. Even when facing very painful events, try to consider the stressful situation in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective. Avoid blowing the event out of proportion.

9 Embrace opportunities for self-discovery. People often learn something about themselves and may find that they have grown in some respect as a result of their struggle with loss.

10 Take care of yourself. Pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Engage in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly. Taking care or yourself helps to keep your mind and body primed for situations that require resilience.