I remember going through several challenging moments eg, losing my dad & sister, and failing professional exams. My resilience pulled me through those difficult moments. Mental resilience is very crucial to our wellbeing. Resilience is the ability to adapt well to life stressful or traumatic circumstances in areas such as family, relationships, finances, and employment.
In a world where adverse life experiences happen, it is imperative to build mental resilience because you may not be able to control what life throws at you, but you need to build up mental muscle to control your response to it. Ways to build mental resilience:
1. Assessing the situation: Is it modifiable or not? You may not be able to bring back your deceased loved one, but you can heal as you navigate the grieving moment to prevent pathological grief. Acceptance of the situation is important. I know initially, you may be in denial, but you should not be in denial for too long. Accepting the situation and owning up to it helps you to pull through. You may not be able to control why you lost your job, but you can control how you develop and position yourself for other opportunities.
2. Being intentional about meaningful relationships. Building relationships intentionally is very crucial to building resilience. How often d you cultivate your relationships intentionally? A strong social system is protective to our mental health. Invest in people now, don’t keep to yourself and say I like my space or I’m too busy. When all chips are down, you will have to withdraw from the emotional account of people you invested in. There is tendency to isolate yourself when you’re going through. It may be okay to be alone to process things but not `for too long. You need someone trusted with whom to talk things through.
3. Seeking help: Seeking help is not a sign of weakness. Always seek help e.g. professional or spiritual help. If you need to see a counselor, a mentor or a coach to guide you & lead your hand, please do it. There is no wisdom in struggling when you can reach out. (To be continued)