Resilience: more than a buzzword
If there is one word (beyond COVID-19) that has risen to the forefront in the last year and a half, it has to be resilience. Our social media feeds are filled with it, the news is talking about it — it’s just everywhere. Buzzword or not, resilience is something to pay attention to. Let’s break it down.
What is resilience?
At its core, resilience is having the ability or capacity to recover from difficulties or challenges.
Life isn’t a perfect roadmap. Personally, you may lose your job, struggling financially, experience a toxic relationship, or lose a loved one. On top of that, there are community or global tragedies that we face. In Fort McMurray alone in the last five years, we’ve had to evacuate due to fire and flood, not to mention a global pandemic. Each one of these circumstances present us with moments of adversity. Moments that we need to find our way through.
Everyone has to work to overcome challenges in life. How you cope and find your way forward is resilience. It’s your ability to be flexible, to maneuver and find a new pathway.
How to build resilience
Some people have a natural ability to be resilient, with a high stress tolerance level and an ability to “bounce back” with ease. However, the majority of us need to build up resilience. We need to learn and understand what our personal triggers are and what we need to heal from an obstacle. What causes us stress? Can we find a new way to manage that?
We’ve put together some of our team’s top suggestions on building resilience.
A strong social network. We don’t just mean on Facebook or Instagram! We’re talking real, live connections with people who feed your soul. From close friends and neighbours to professional colleagues and mentors, our network is who we tap for support when we’re struggling. PS - Some Other Solutions is ALWAYS part of your network, so if you need to call someone, we are here for you!
Realistic goal setting. When life’s challenges come along, one of the first things that can get derailed is our big goal. You have a dream to open a restaurant and then a pandemic hits. You just started a weight loss journey and you hurt your foot and can’t exercise. Part of being resilient is not giving up on your goals, but rather changing the road map. Can you set up smaller objectives that can help you achieve your big dreams? Maybe your timeline has to shift. Maybe you need to pivot completely and take a new approach.
Practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness is about making time in your day to breathe deep and feel. To be mindful of how you’re feeling that day, acknowledge it and then carry on. Try not to get stuck on mindfulness needing to be sitting in a yoga pose. Mindfulness can happen in painting, in reading, in running. Find an activity that works for you. Need some ideas? Check out this previous blog post!
Counselling before crisis. Mental health counselling is often thought of when we’re in a crisis. Our relationships are crumbling, we’ve lost a loved one, or are struggling with suicidal thoughts. These are definitely moments for counselling or the crisis line, but we also encourage you to reach out for support before you hit a breaking point. Consider counselling like you do a fitness routine. A regular check-in with a psychologist can help you stay grounded and guide you through building resilience so that when you get walloped by a challenge, you’re ready to face it head on!
No matter what, don’t give up! We know life can be challenging and sometimes it feels like you’re getting pummelled from all sides. We are here to help you build resilience and find a way to stand strong and push forward.