Cultivate Resilience
Accomplishing your goals requires resilience. But cultivating resilience doesn’t happen overnight; it takes practice and a good deal of effort. It’ll also take a community of people to support you in the hard times. While there are many ways to cultivate resilience, the most important factors are time and endurance. Today, we’re looking at a few ways to help you cultivate personal resilience in both your personal and professional life.
Develop a Supportive Network
Having a network of friends and family who provide encouragement and perspective is an invaluable asset. Whether you need advice or well-timed motivation, those closest to you are best suited for the task. It may help you in rough moments to have someone there to fall back on or ask for help to pick up the load. No one should be expecting you to handle everything on your own and having people around you will help cultivate your resilience over time.
Take time to invest in those who are around you, and don’t expect anyone to carry the load of support. A relationship has to go both ways, or it will reach a dead end with no way out. Learn both empathy and humility when dealing with relationships. People all want to be loved and understood, but they also want to be pushed. Humility is something that will need to be learned if you want to be able to approach people for support. As time goes on, you may find that many friends and family will provide support without you saying anything. They will learn how to read you and your situation. They will care about you enough to want to know what is going on in your life and pick up the slack when needed.
Focus on Solutions
When facing challenges, rather than dwelling on problems, focus on ways to solve the issues using your unique strengths. Don’t dwell on everything that may go wrong as you seek to find a solution. One of my favorite quotes is from the Count of Monte Cristo, “Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes.” There are going to be times when you are not doing well in your life, and if you simply let the issues overwhelm you, then you will fail, but if you choose to seek out solutions to your problems, then you have a chance of accomplishing your goals. Learn what works best for you when you are under stress. Prepare for situations you know you don’t handle very well. As stated before, establishing a supportive network can help with this and become a life raft in hard times. Sometimes, the solution is as easy as taking a day to recuperate with a friend or two and coming back to the problem with a fresh perspective.
Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will aid in supporting mental and emotional strength, which is directly linked to personal resilience. A healthy lifestyle is not just about whether you eat healthy or exercise daily (although both are important to a healthy lifestyle); it is also about taking healthy steps in all aspects of your life. Taking the time to simply organize your life, relax and reevaluate your priorities, and make sure you have achievable goals are all important when building a healthy lifestyle.
Self-discipline will ensure that you attain your healthy lifestyle and help reduce the chaos that often comes when your life is a mess. Self-discipline is something else you need to work out; you could even make that your first achievable goal. It will be essential in cultivating resilience as you continue on. The endurance you build will carry into all areas of life.
Reduce Stress
Often, situations aren’t as complicated as we think. You may have things that are causing unnecessary stress in your life and are inadvertently hurting your ability to reach your goals. Eliminating these stresses may improve your performance more than you previously realized. Sometimes, this is as easy as practicing stress-reduction techniques, such as deep breathing, meditation, or exercise. This will allow you to work harder for longer without becoming burnt out. Sleeping properly and for the best amount of time can also vastly reduce stress and increase performance levels. This may include taking a nap in the afternoon to get through the afternoon slump, but be sure not to oversleep in order to prevent grogginess and lack of sleep at night. Try establishing what is prohibiting you from completing goals effectively, and seek to improve or get rid of it entirely. If you find yourself skipping meals or eating too much unhealthy foods, take steps to prioritize healthy habits. Reducing stress does not need to be stressful. If you find it hard to reduce stress, then try reaching out to a close friend or family member for support and accountability. They can help remind and encourage you to reduce unnecessary stress without guilt.
Conclusion
As we end week 6, remember: Cultivating resilience isn’t a solo effort; it’ll take a community of people to support you in the hard times. Let others remind you to be solution-focused and help you reduce stress through lifestyle choices. You do not have to carry everything on your own. Share your burdens, live with a positive mindset, keep a healthy lifestyle, and reduce unnecessary stress. Take the steps today to become the best version of yourself.
Want more? Click on the links below to read other blogs in this series. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at the information provided below.
