We understand that life is full of ups and downs. We won't always have rosy days, and we won't always have stormy days. As much as we enjoy the rosy days, we must prepare for the stormy days ahead and in doing so, we must be resilient. Resilience is the ability to cope with adversity and to use challenges to forge strength and prosperity. Just like sailors at sea, the sea can be very beautiful when the coast is clear. But it can be very deadly when the storms are near. Yet, the seamen never say they would never return to the sea. They do their thing. They get ready for the storms and fight it as it comes.This is what it means to be resilient.
Having resilience does not mean that you don’t struggle, make mistakes, or need to ask for help. Resilient people keep plugging along even when the situation becomes ugly or exhausting. They learn from their mishaps and misfortunes, and they rely on others with confidence and trust. When we talk about resilience, we aren't talking about being perfect. We aren't talking about you always having it all together. It only means you go through the ugly phases of life, yet you do not give up. Honestly, if you are still alive on this planet earth, and you haven't given up after all the issues life has put you through, you are resilient. There are hurdles to combat at every stage. Yet when you fight and scale through each level, you are awarded with a coin (in a game) or a badge. Or a degree or an award (academically speaking).
So how exactly can we stay resilient in challenging times?
1. Reframe Your Interpretations
Resilient people find a way to explain their situations in a more positive light while still accepting reality. Let's say you lost some money through an investment. And you are mad at yourself for not seeing the signs that you should have seen for some reason or the other, rather than mope about, staying mad about life and spreading bad vibes everywhere, why not accept the fact that you have lost the money and it's not coming back. But one thing you have gained is the lesson. God knows, you will never fall into such situation except you are not wise.
Allow yourself to feel the emotions, the anger. Cry if you have too. Shout if you have to. Do whatever you have to. But move on and move on at your own pace but never remain on that matter for ever. Also, talk to people who can help you through times like this.
Read: How to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone in 2024
2. Identify What You Can Control
Optimists are among the most resilient of us, and they succeed by virtue of focusing their attention on how they can make their situations better. So if you find out that you are tending towards pessimism, that is, you are naturally a pessimist, try not to remain in that camp forever.
Truth is, in life we aren't always responsible for what happens to us. We cannot always control things that go on around us, but we can control our reaction to them. Find something you can control and put your heart and soul into it. If you experiencing a break up, forgot that person and put your heart and soul into what you're most passionate about (Your purpose!).
3. Seek Support
There are many images in our culture of the self-reliant, lone hero whose personal willpower provides enough strength to withstand any obstacle. Let’s be factual; these heroes needed help. They all got to where they attained with the help of people. No one is an island, and even islands need resources from other islands. Whenever you are going through a crises or challenging situation, open up to someone. Most times, people with mental health situations aggravate to a worse state because they don't have people to share their burdens with, or they have so many people around them but no one who truly relates or understands them. In cases where you do not have people around you that you can trust, still seek support from a professional. Seek help somehow. They will always be people who want to help.
5. Embrace Challenge and Failure
Failure is hard pill for many of us to swallow, we’d rather step back from a challenging situation than risk making a fool of ourselves. But when we adopt the perspective that challenges can strengthen us, and that we can learn from both successes and failures, we’re exercising our resilience muscles.
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