7 ways that help you build resilience

Taking small steps to look after your wellbeing can help you cope with pressure and decrease the negative impact that stress might have on your life. This process is called resilience. Resilience means developing your capacity to adapt to changing and challenging situations whilst maintaining a stable mental health. Resilience is not a personality trait – it is a behaviour that anyone can develop.

Please note that resilience helps you reflect on challenging and traumatic events from ealry life, so you can better integrate them into the present. Remember that your wellbeing strongly depends upon your ability to integrate traumatic situations into the present. To learn more about trauma and its impact on adulthood, don't miss my article, entitled "Is it possible to remove painful experiences from the past" that you can access here.

There are some changes that you can make to your daily routine that could help you be more resilient and able to face pressure and stressful circumstances.

Find balance in your life

You might find that one part of your life, such as your job or your family life is taking up most of your energy. Here, it is important to make a decision and focus on other important aspects of your life, like hobbies and friends. I know that it is not easy, but this will help you split the weight of pressures and make things feel lighter.

Make time for yourself

You might already know what helps you relax, like reading a book, listening to music or having a bath. Identify the activities that help you feel more relaxed and serene and make sure you set aside time for them.

Be more self-confident when communicating with others

If people are making unacceptable demands on you, try to express and verbalise your feelings and say ‘no’. Do not answer positively to other individuals’ demands you might find unacceptable as this will cause internal conflicts. Please note that from a psychological perspective, it is better to be in conflict with others than with yourself.

Focus on activities that make you happy

Look for an activity that will help you get away from everyday pressures. If you feel lonely or isolated, group activities could be an excellent opportunity to meet new people and to try something different.

Spend time with your friends & family

Even if you might have a busy life, spending time with close friends & family can help you fell more positive and less isolated. Sharing your difficulties with your loved-ones helps you see life from a different angle and keep things in perspective. As you already know, laughing and smiling produces hormones that help you be happier and more relaxed.

Reward yourself for achievements

Celebrate success even the smallest one like finishing a specific task or making a decision. You could treat yourself to food you love, take a bath or simply tell yourself ‘well done – I am proud of you’. Do not hesitate to talk to yourself and to acknowledge your success. Please note that generally people tend to acknowledge failure rather than success which automatically and unconsciously make them focus on the negative apects in their lives.

Forgive yourself

Everybody makes mistakes or sometimes does not achieve something they hoped for. Nobody is perfect and putting extra pressure on yourself will not help you feel better. Try to consider life as a teacher and life events as lessons that give you the opportunity to grow and to be a better individual.

To learn more about resilience, do not hesitate to contact me on info@angelpsychology.com.

Please note that Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Psychodynamic Therapy will help you acquire the knowledge and reflection you need. Learn more about Psychodynamic Therapy here and about CBT here. Don't forget that you can work with me at home. Learn more about online psychotherapy here.

With warm wishes,

Dr Ivanka Ezhova

Angel Psychological Therapy

www.angelpsychology.com