” The human capacity for burden is like bamboo – far more flexible than you’d ever believe at first glance ” Jodi Picoult

 

Resilience comes from the Latin word Resilire, which means to rebound . Resilience is not necessarily a fixed trait and there are multiple predisposing factors. The good news is that resilience can be developed !  The five key pillars of resilience include 

SELF – CARE , BOUNDARIES , ADAPTABILITY, PURPOSEFULNESS, , SOCIAL SUPPORT

SELF – CARE

True self – care means taking full responsibility for your physical, mental and emotional health . So how do you TRULY practice self – care 

1 ) Strengthen your body 

Choose and implement non – negotiable self – care rituals .

Daily exercise – yoga, , working out, getting plenty of rest/ sleep, following a nutritious diet 

2 ) Look after your mental and emotional health

Pay attention to your feelings. Do you feel wired  ? Angry, irritable, stressed, depressed ? Using addictions to self – soothe ?Self – care means accepting and allowing yourself to feel your emotions . Give yourself permission to ask for help. Meditation, NLP techniques, visualizations, journaling, EFT , energy healing are all ways that you can get in touch with your inner ” power house ” ,developing emotional awareness and stability

SET  BOUNDARIES

1 ) Know your limits 

How clear are you about what you will and wont tolerate in your personal interactions with others ?

Are you prepared to walk away from toxic relationships to maintain your sense of self – worth ?

How clear are you about maintaining healthy. boundaries  with your time ?

2 ) Protect your energy

There are two different types of tired – tired when you

are lacking in sleep and tired when you are drained energetically . Do you know the difference between the two ?

It is very common for empaths to absorb the energies of those around them

Complete the following checklist 

1 ) Am I aware of how different situations affect me energetically ?

2 ) What situations/ who in my life tend to leave me feeling drained ?

3 ) How good am I at saying NO and pulling back when I feel that my time or boundaries are being compromised in any way ?

4 ) How much time am i allowing myself to spend on activities that lift me energetically ie exercise, hobbies that Ilove, time outdoors , time alone ?

5 ) Do I know what I need to do in order to recharge my batteries ?

ADAPT QUICKLY

Research has shown that resilient people possess the ability to ADAPT quickly and easily to change . This is a skill that can be developed . Ask yourself

1 ) How can I do things differently ?

2 ) How willing am I to learn new ways of doing things now ?

3 ) How can I become solution rather than problem focused ?

4 ) What are the opportunities presenting themselves right now ?

5 ) How can I reframe this situation / change what this means to me right now

CONNECT TO YOUR PURPOSE

1 ) Know your purpose 

Whats your greater purpose ?

Whats your vision ?

Do you have clear future goals ?

Research has shown that the most resilient people are forward thinking, have a positive image of the future, clear values and a strong sense of purpose

2 ) What can you control ?

Focus on the situations and events that you CAN influence , rather than those that you have no control over.. This puts you in a ” holding space ” taking you from helpless to resourceful

SOCIAL SUPPORT

Human beings are communal by nature . We are built for connection and maintaining strong social networks is vital for building resilience. Social support nourishes emotional resilience and positive feeling states

1 ) Create a network

Do you have a circle of friends , family members, community groups, peers , neighbours that you can build networks with right now ?

2 ) Reach out to at least two people per day .

Drawing on each others energies, providing positivity and encouragement will help to strengthen resilience in the face of adversity

3 ) Mentors, therapist , coaches will help to keep you accountable both to yourself and others when coping with adversity

 

( Image credit Pawel Svmanski on Unsplash