If you have never experienced challenges in your life, you don't know how strong you can be. The ability to bounce back from bad experiences, or thrive in spite of hard times is called
resiliency. A resilient person doesn't give up or fall apart every time something bad happens to them. They work through the problem, and are stronger because of it. It sometimes requires choosing between being a victim or deciding to take control of the things you can.
If water was poured into a cup every time something bad happened to you, what would eventually happen? The cup would overflow, right? Being resilient means that you know different ways to empty that cup. It means that you have the ability to deal with the problems in your life.
Everyone has problems, and everyone also has the potential to be resilient. The following suggestions can help:
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Practice healthy coping skills.
What You Need to Know About Coping Skills
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Take care of yourself emotionally.
Emotional Health Checklist
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Find thankfulness.
Finding Thankfulness
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Recognize the victories in your life. Keep an ongoing log of your personal successes.
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Improve your self-esteem.
Feeling Better About Yourself
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Challenge yourself. Control what you can. Instead of being overwhelmed by your circumstances, find small things that you can do to make the situation better. Those little things can add up and make a world of difference.
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Don't be so hard on yourself. Learn from your mistakes. Everyone makes them. Don't allow yourself to obsess or feel over-burdened by guilt.
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Identify supportive people in your life.
Your Circle
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Be a role model for others. Showing others how you successfully handle what life throws at you can give you a sense of pride and purpose.
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Help others. Sometimes when you help others through tough times, you find new ways to handle your own problems.
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Try new things. When we open ourselves up to new possibilities, we get a broader and clearer perspective on life.
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Take a break. Give yourself time to de-stress and regroup.
How To Manage Stress
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Visualize the resiliency you want in your life.Imagine pouring your problems out of an overflowing cup.
These skills can help build resiliency and will eventually become a habit if you start practicing them now. They can also help you to get through the dark times so you can truly appreciate the many joys that always lie ahead.
Never give up. Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.
