Fostering Resilience

21 Jan Fostering Resilience

Strength. Fortitude. Grit. Perseverance. Determined. Tenacity. These are all words indicative of resilience. The capacity to withstand difficulty, trials, tribulations, and the ability to adjust to change. Resilience!

We often don’t realize how strong we are until we make it to the other side of life’s challenges. I know I have had my moments of struggle and doubt and as I’ve learned to manage stressors, confidence in myself has increased and in turn enhanced my resilience. Inquiring minds want to know, “How do you foster resilience?” For people working through their struggles, simply saying, “Be Strong” is not enough. The term resilience and its synonyms are generally used to describe a person’s attributes. Resilience is a noun. However, to become resilient, it takes action.  The infamous question is, “How do I develop the strength to endure?”.  “How do I learn fortitude?” Here are 5 ways you can foster resilience and encourage those around you to do the same.

1. You have control over one thing. YOU! – It’s second nature to point the finger or place blame when something goes wrong or does not work out as planned. Don’t skip out now. It’s a hard pill to swallow but, someone has to say it. Look in the mirror and ask, “What could I have done different?” There may be times where your response triggered a domino effect. There may be other times when your role should have been to simply listen. Ya’ll know, pick your battle. There were probably moments when you could have said your peace and let it be, but you insisted on having the last word. Think about it. Were there moments when you should have cued “Lil Duval – Smile” and went on with your life? Probably so.

2. Own your ‘ish! – With that said, take responsibility of your actions. Let go of the guilt and give yourself some grace. You are evolving so, live in the present. When you are focused on the present, getting on the side of triumph is less difficult. When we focus on our struggles, we become stagnant in our growth. It is in our progress that strength is fed.

3. Celebrate your wins – Life is a journey. I use the analogy of a marathon or race. At each marker there are people cheering you on, congratulating you and giving you water etc. When you get to the marker, although the race is not complete for miles, the encouragement along the way pushes you to keep going. On this journey called life, celebrate all the wins. In fact, kudos to you for making it this far in this blog as you work to enhance your mental strength.

4. Give Back – One of Dr. Martin Luther King’s quotes reads, “Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve”. There is a feeling of humbleness that comes with serving. When we serve others, we ignite a sense of purpose in our lives. When we have purpose, we gain strength to keep going. It is important to note that giving back does not just mean financially. Give your time. Provide information. Donate items. There are a slew of nonprofit organizations that may be in need of your help. Find an organization that interest you and commit time, money or resources. You can also freelance and just randomly pay it forward. To give is to heal. Giving is just as rewarding to the giver as it is to the recipient.

5. Refuel – You know I cannot leave you without telling you to rest. Self-care is necessary. “You can’t pour from an empty cup” so, be sure to recharge regularly; like you do your cell phone. When you refuel, your family and friends get the overflow.

Do you have any tips for fostering resilience? What has worked for you in difficult times?

If you’ve found what you have read helpful, like, comment and share. If you have questions, I would love to connect.

Subscribe to the newsletter at www.selfcareadvocacy.com.

Take Care,

Ayana
The Self-Care Advocate