Coping strategies: Resilience

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Since the pandemic began, anxiety and uncertainty about the future has been high. Our old world (pre-pandemic) thrived on efficiency and normality. And so too does our very own human nature; quite simply we love routine and predictability. In our complex ‘new normal’ world, however, plans rarely go to plan and, let’s face it, this situation may not change anytime soon.
Trying to eliminate uncertainty will be near on impossible, and as such, we will all need to make sure we adapt and adjust constantly. This is why building up our resilience stores will be so important as we move through 2022, not least throughout the cold days of February.

Resilience will encourage us all to embrace change in 2022, rather than focus our energy on restraining it. It will allow us all to be more aware of situations, and our own emotional reactions. Life, this coming year, may well present challenges – doesn’t it always! However, being resilient will help us to understand how to be open, flexible, and willing to adapt to change as required. Here are 5 simple ways to build greater resilience this month. Why not give them a try?

Have confidence in yourself.
Having confidence in your own ability to cope with the stresses of life can play an important part in resilience. Likewise, being more confident in your own abilities, including your ability to respond to and deal with a difficult situation, is a great way to build resilience for the future too. Listen for negative comments in your head. When you hear them, practice immediately replacing them with positive ones. Or try saying “stop” straight after having a negative thought. How you talk to yourself can greatly affect how you think, feel and behave, and help to put things into perspective.

Know your strengths and use them.
Resilient people tend to – not only to be aware of the strengths they have – but also use them wisely to build more resilience too. Think about what makes you different and draw upon it. It may be your personality, your work ethic, your commitment to a hobby or a sport. Whatever it is, acknowledge it, celebrate it and draw up on it when times are hard.

Stay connected
It’s ever so important to have people you can confide in and who you can call upon if things are feeling overwhelming. While talking about a situation with a friend or loved one won’t make your troubles go away, it will allow you to share the load a little, get support, and also explore a range of possible solutions to your problems.

Search for a sense of purpose in your life.
Finding a sense of purpose can play a huge role helping people get over difficult times. This might mean becoming involved in your community, cultivating your spirituality, or participating in activities that are meaningful to you.

The important thing to remember is that you are never alone. While you may not be able to control all of the circumstances around you, and sometimes it may all feel overwhelming, you can grow by focusing on what these challenges can teach us. Leverage the support of loved ones, trusted professionals and of course, your own positive mindset. Set goals and move towards them. Feeling a sense of accomplishment is really important. It’s great to set smaller achievable goals and then work from there. Ask yourself, “What is the one thing I know I can accomplish today that helps me move in the direction I want to go?”. Then set to it. Small steps like this can really add up.

Try this today: Find a new hobby
Having a hobby can help to provide a structure to your week and keep your mind focused. Not only will it give you something to look forward to, but it will also keep your mind active.

Read more about building more resilience

Top 10 hobbies you could try in 2022:

Flower arranging Journaling Blogging Photography Painting Meditation Baking Running Cross stitch Hand lettering

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