Are you starting to feel angry, suffocated, or ready to kick something? I hear you as I’m right there with you! But this hard time we’re all going through is also giving us an amazing opportunity to both flex and build our resilience muscles. And here’s why that’s so important.
A lesson from Rocky
Confession time – I love the Rocky movies! As a kid (ok, as an adult too!), I play Eye of the Tiger whenever I need to capture that ‘ain’t nothing bringing me down’ feeling. I do it because to me, Rocky Balboa is the epitome of resilience.
One scene from the movie demonstrates this aptly: Rocky is going up against an opponent and getting a whole can of whoop ass. He just keeps going down, but even though he’s completely battered and bruised, he refuses to stay down. The look on his opponent’s face says it all - “WTF? This guy is a machine. He ain’t going down!”
Another scene that stays with me is when Rocky gives this amazingly inspirational speech:
“You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much can you take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.”
Why is resilience so important?
Resilience is all about our ability to bounce back when we’re faced with adversity, threats, trauma and tragedy. But while it’s important to be able to recover from challenges, it’s just as important to recognize the opportunity they provide for growth. Being resilient teaches us life lessons we would have never learned during calm waters, plus it’s extremely empowering.
It takes time to build your resilience muscles
Like anything in life, learning resilience takes time and practice. To help you out on that front, here are some of my top tips:
1. Make self-care a PRIORITY!
While I’m sure you are tired of hearing this, self-care really is the key to our overall health. When we take care of ourselves, we’re in better shape physically and mentally to manage difficult times.
This includes what we put into our bodies, as science shows that what we eat affects the way we think and feel. Just remember how you felt after that huge burger, fries and several shots of tequila (yes, I’m talking from experience here!). I’m not saying don’t enjoy those treats. But just be mindful of how much and how often.
Stay hydrated and make exercise a habit. You can always start small and slowly build up for as they say, no one climbed Mount Everest in a day. Also ensure you get plenty of sleep. It’s a good idea to try to turn off the TV and stay away from electronics before bed.
2. Keep things in perspective
Our thoughts play a crucial role in building our resilience muscles. I absolutely understand that it’s normal to catastrophize when things seem uncertain. But make an effort to come back to the moment. Take a second to say to yourself, “So right now in this moment, am I ok? Am I in danger?” 99.9% of the time you are just fine.
It’s also not always possible for us to change stressful situations, but we can choose to see it as happening for us and not to us. Maintaining an optimistic outlook is hard, but it does allow us to be open to receiving solutions we may close off when we’re locked in a negative mind set.
So when you next get into a state of panic, take a deep breath and make an effort to visualize what you want. This is a powerful exercise and will help you instantly feel better.
3. Learn from the past
Take the time to look back and reflect on your past traumas. What helped you get through? It’s also a great way to remind yourself that you did get through it, that the storm passed and the sun really did shine again.
4. Reach out for help and support
You are not alone, and there is nothing wrong with seeking support. Talking about what is bothering you is helpful, and will also provide you with a perspective you may not have considered.
I hope these tips will help you make a start on developing your resilience stores. It takes practice and you might fall down, but like Rocky, just keep getting back up. It’s also good to keep in mind that what we’re facing right now is temporary. We can all come out much stronger and better equipped to deal with adversity on the other side, and that’s an amazing silver lining.