Being able to bounce back from stress is imperative for your mental, physical and spiritual health. Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.

When you are faced with a difficult or adverse situation how do you cope? Do you get stuck, or are you able to process the stress in a healthy manner? Resilience does not mean you won’t feel the intensity of the problem. You are just able to deal with the situation in a healthy and quick way. 

If you desire to be resilient but just are not able to overcome the stressors in your life, there is good news. You can learn to be resilient!

Listed below are some key ways to develop resilience in your life:

Have supportive relationships that can encourage you.

Face problems head-on, not relying on unhealthy ways to manage stress.

Look at your negative situations realistically. Don’t dwell on what you cannot change, but look for small ways to tackle your problems.

Accept that change is inevitable and a part of life. You can’t control most of what happens in your life, but you can control how you respond to it.

Take mental health breaks from situations that cannot be solved quickly. Give your mind a rest from trying to solve unsolvable problems, and move on to problems that you can solve.

Focus on your strengths and how you overcame past tough situations as a way to boost your confidence that you have what it takes to push past hardships.

Stress and trauma tend to lower resilience over time. Trauma tends to get stuck in your brain leaving you on high alert continually. In other words, the stress response never shuts off. Learning to manage your stress can be helpful in building resiliency.

If you want to manage your stress as a way to build resiliency in your life, try these helpful tips:

Don’t overbook yourself or create an overly busy schedule. Put lots of margin into your schedule.

Engage in activities that you enjoy and that relaxes you.

Unplug and disconnect from your phone and social media. Take a breather from always being “plugged-in.”

Engage in some form of exercising. Just taking a walk can boost feel-good neurotransmitters in your brain that can reduce stress, anxiety, and alleviate depression.

Connect with God daily. Pray, give your concerns/worries to God, thank Him for interceding for you, and then move on with your day. Spend no more than 30 minutes a day processing your pain or stress with God or even a trusted friend.

Developing resiliency can help you handle stress better. Everyone reacts differently to stress or trauma, some bounce back quickly while others take a while longer. Some people are more natural at being resilient, but you can learn to be resilient.

Stephanie R. Reck, LMSW, LBT, BCCC
Stephanie Reck, Coaching & Consultation Services
www.stephaniereck.com
[email protected]
Stephanie Reck Coaching & Consultation Services, @2024
Author of, "Disciplining Your Mind 30 Days to a Better You!"