It’s so important to build resilience! don’t think I had ever heard the word resilience until I was legitimately sitting in a therapist’s office when I was going through a low point in my life. And my therapist said I had a lot of resilience. And I naturally understood what she meant.
According to Merriam-Webster, Resilience is defined as the following:
1. the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress
2. an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change
I feel like resilience is a muscle. A muscle can’t get stronger unless it’s put under strain. Likewise, you can’t be resilient unless you’re forced to overcome something – or can you?
Mental wellness is just as important as marketing when it comes to your business. This is why my Clubhouse room is called “Marketing & Mindset,” and why we talk about both these topics in there! Because it’s impossible to be successful if your mindset isn’t right!
Today, we are talking about building resilience in order to protect your mental wellbeing – and I’ve invited Gina Kelly, from GinaNicoleKelly.com, to teach us 4 ways to do this. Let’s read what she has to say…
4 Ways to Build Resilience and Protect Your Mental Wellbeing
Do you know someone who copes with whatever life happens to throw her way? Or have you ever noticed that when some people are faced with a difficult situation, they quickly adapt and come out of it stronger? Psychologists refer to this as resilience, and it’s an important skill to have so you can manage life’s twists and turns.
What is Resilience?
Resilience is the ability to thrive during times of adversity. Job loss, divorce, the death of a loved one, and other major life traumas cause us insurmountable pain. When someone has resilience, they don’t fall apart or experience prolonged anxiety and fear. Instead, they meet challenges head-on.
Individuals with resilience are better able to weather the storm and bounce back. When someone isn’t strong enough to endure hardship, they can’t see past their suffering. They can become overwhelmed and psychologically paralyzed.
How Can We Develop Resilience?
We usually don’t know if we have resilience until we’re faced with a major challenge. When you’re in the moment, it might be harder to cultivate enough strength to protect your mental wellbeing. The idea of developing resilience before you’re faced with adversity sounds appealing but can it be done?
Often we can’t control what happens to us but we can control our reaction, which is a pillar of resilience. It’s important to adapt instead of sinking deeper into the hole. We just need the tools to do it effectively.
Luckily, building resilience isn’t as hard as you’d think. Here are a few ways to build resilience and take an active part in protecting your mental wellbeing:
#1 Take Care of Your Physical Health
Our bodies are miraculous. They grow babies, fight off viruses, run marathons, and even survive severe injuries. The human body is, well, pretty resilient!
Unfortunately, though, our bodies can also break down under immense stress especially if they’re already in a weakened state. Stress can cause heart disease, diabetes, dementia, gastrointestinal problems, and the list goes on. When we encounter stress and adversity, our physical health needs to support our bodies and minds.
Below are three easy ways you can improve your physical health without sacrificing a ton of time, money, and energy.
- Make sleep a priority – Many of us don’t realize how important sleep is. Without it, our bodies and minds don’t operate properly, and the long-term effects of sleep deprivation are devastating. From supplements to wearable technology, there are dozens of sleep aid options. Make sure you talk to your doctor to come up with the best course of action to get those eight hours.
- Eat well – Cut down on the sugar and processed foods (I know, I know, easier said than done!). Be sure to add healthy foods, such as whole fruits and vegetables, to your diet. Fill up on healthy fats, like avocados, so you don’t have cravings for junk food later on. And try to quit that sugary beverage habit!
- Move your body – If you have time to hit the gym five times a week, that’s great. Even if you can only grab a few minutes to do yoga in your living room before the kids wake up, make sure you get your body moving and your blood flowing every day.
#2 Find a Support System
By making connections with one another, we’re building strength through social interaction. In the face of resilience, those social connections are key to surviving and thriving. Here are a few tips to create your own social network:
- Spend quality time with family and friends – Make an effort to strengthen the bond between you and your family and friends. Develop stronger relationships with those you love the most. Not only should you be able to lean on them in your time of need but you should be there for them too.
- Join a group – Whether it’s an online group or in-person, get out there and foster a sense of community. You can meet others through online book clubs, cooking classes, or even through your child’s dance classes.
- Volunteer your time – Not only will you expand your community by connecting with your fellow volunteers but you’ll feel good doing something to help others.
- Don’t be afraid to find professional help – If you are currently struggling and don’t yet have a community to lean on, find a psychologist or doctor to speak with about your stress.
#3 Get Out of Your Head
When you’re resilient, you take fate into your own hands and don’t ruminate on past experiences or obsess about what may happen in the future.
There are a few things you can do to connect with the present, understand your sufferings (big and small), and develop a more positive outlook on life.
- Practice mindfulness – Not getting caught up in the past and future but focusing on the present is a great way to escape your thoughts and be in the here and now. Pay attention to the way your food tastes, concentrate on just one breath, or feel the water on your hands while you’re doing the dishes. You can turn every single thing you do into an act of mindfulness instead of allowing your mind to wander through the past or into the future.
- Learn how to cope – We all experience stress. It’s part of life. Work deadlines, a small argument with a friend, or being stuck in traffic when you’re late are all examples of everyday stress. The better you’re able to handle these smaller tense-filled events, the more prepared you’ll be when you’re faced with larger challenges. So, take a step back when you’re under stress and assess the situation. Understand your emotional response and remember to breathe!
- Recognize your failures and keep trying – Accepting failure is so hard. It can feel devastating when we’re told we just aren’t good enough or we realize our mistakes. But when we’re at our lowest and our self-esteem plummets, we need to learn and grow and keep moving forward.
- Focus on the positive – For every negative, there is almost always a positive. Changing your view from a pessimistic to an optimistic one is truly as simple as shifting your perspective. Acknowledge the negative but don’t dwell on it.
#4 Develop a Sense of Gratitude
People with a deep sense of gratitude handle stressful situations with strength and confidence. Not only does gratitude help build resilience but it’s also been proven to help your physical wellbeing and improve life satisfaction.
By taking the steps below, you can easily cultivate a practice of gratitude and turn it into a daily habit.
- Take just a few minutes each morning to write down five things you’re grateful for.
- Talk to your family about something you’re grateful for each night before bed.
- Appreciate everything, even the small things like hearing the birds sing their morning songs or just how good your coffee tastes.
- Either say grace over your meal or send a thankful thought to all of the individuals who made that meal possible (farmers, food plant workers, etc.).
- Set an alarm on your phone at least once per day. When it goes off, stop whatever you’re doing and think of one thing you’re thankful for at that moment.
- Find something positive in every challenge you encounter.
Having resilience doesn’t mean you won’t at times be anxious or sad. What it means is that despite those feelings, you’ll be able to cope with the challenges you face. By building resilience now, you’ll be able to call upon your “reserve” of inner strength when you encounter hardship or a difficult life situation.
About the Author
Gina Kelly is a freelance writer located in northern New Jersey. She writes about health, wellness and mental well-being. You can find more of her work at www.ginanicolekelly.com.
Ending Notes...
Gina’s advice is spot on – practical steps that anyone can take to build resilience. I love it, love it, love it!
Resilience is key to surviving and thriving in this crazy world. And Lord knows we need help to survive and thrive as busy entrepreneurs! Keeping your mindset in the right place is very important for a successful business – so keep your mind right!
Remember to take care of your physical health, find a support system, get out of your head, and develop a sense of gratitude to build resilience so you can kick butt at life and business 😉
Want help with your mindset? Listen to my Clubhouse Room, Marketing & Mindset, and ask Connie @CLTLaDoc any questions you have! She is a Christian Mindset Coach, and she’s amazing! Join us and let us help you with marketing or mindset!
Comments? Questions? Ask them below! I will answer as soon as I can 
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