Our Habits Play A Significant Role in Building Resilience

The good news is that resilience can be learned. And it’s not about learning how to “grin and bear it” or to simply “get over it.” Nor is it learning to avoid obstacles or resist change.

Building resilience is a process by which people become better at reframing thought patterns and tapping into a strengths-based approach to working through obstacles.

As a process, it doesn’t happen overnight, and even if you are already resilient, it’s something you have to work at to maintain. The following are steps that can help you build resilience over time.

• Develop self-awareness. Understanding how you typically respond to stress and adversity is the first step toward learning more adaptive strategies. Self-awareness also includes understanding your strengths and knowing your weaknesses.

• Build self-regulation skills. Remaining focused in the face of stress and adversity is important but not easy. Stress-reduction techniques, such as guided imagery, breathing exercise, and mindfulness training, can help individuals regulate their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.

• Learn coping skills. There are many coping skills that can help in dealing with stressful and challenging situations. They include journaling, reframing thoughts, exercising, spending time outdoors, socializing, improving sleep hygiene, and tapping into creative outlets.