Mental resilience, the ability to adapt to life’s challenges, is not a special trait that people either have or don’t have. Rather, it involves the learning of behaviours, thoughts, and actions that can be developed in everyone.
Simply put, resilience can be cultivated through willpower, discipline, and hard work, and there are many strategies by which to do so. The key is to identify ways that will work well for you as part of your own personal strategy.
Below we will explore several strategies and techniques to improve mental resilience.
Make connections – Your connection to family, friends, and community can strengthen resilience. Healthy relationships with people who care about you and will listen to your problems, offer support during difficult times and can help you to reclaim hope.
Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems – We cannot change the external events happening around us, but we can control our reactions to these events. There will always be challenges in life, but it’s essential to look beyond whatever stressful situation you are facing and remember that circumstances will change.
Accept that change is a part of living – They say that the only thing constant in life is change. As a result of difficult circumstances, specific goals may no longer be realistic or attainable. Accepting that there are certain things you cannot change allows you to focus on the things you do have control over.
Move toward your goals – Though it is important to develop long-term, big-picture goals, it is essential to ensure they are realistic. Create small, actionable steps so your goals are achievable and you can enjoy small “wins” along the way.
Take decisive actions – Instead of shying away from problems and stresses, wishing they would just go away, try to take decisive action whenever possible.
Finally, self-awareness is at the root of many of these strategies for building your mental fitness. To enhance, improve or build upon our existing mental strength, we must acknowledge and accept where we are currently in terms of our capacity and resilience. Only then can we begin to take steps toward a stronger, healthier mental state.
