Resiliency. What a loaded word. We all have it. We’ve all tapped into it at one point or another. We all wish we had more of it. Let me put it this way. If you’ve ever “failed” at anything — a recipe, a job, a relationship — and you kept on living (and the chances of that are pretty good) then that means you have resiliency.
Need more examples? Things like workplace drama or financial stressors, relationship problems or health scares — they ALL require us to look for our resiliency deep inside of us. These situations have lasting effects on us. Am I right?! Heck, they can be debilitating at times! Everyone reacts differently to these life events and there’s NO DOUBT they bring on strong emotions and uncertainty. Yet people generally adapt well over time to stressful situations and learn how to overcome challenges — thanks to resilience.
And the good news is our resiliency will continue to grow stronger every time we get back up and face reality again. EVERY. TIME. It’s just something that needs to be built up and worked on like any other habit or skill you have. How you may ask?
Here are some ways you can increase your resiliency and become stronger when faced with a difficult situation.
- Focus on the positives first. You can find the good in every situation but you have to look for it (and sometimes it can be really hard to find it).
- Celebrate your victories, even if they are small! Remind yourself of how far you have come on your journey. Seriously. One pound lost or one phone call made is one step closer to your goal.
- Don’t let your negative self-talk get the best of you. When you hear your inner voice beginning to slip into negativity, take control and yell STOP! Research has shown that positive self-talk is a great predictor of success. Take control of your inner-dialogue and change it’s tone.
- Accept and embrace failure. Every failure is a lesson. Stop for a second, think about what you can learn from it, then dust yourself off and get back up. Failure is a natural step on the pathway to success.
- Remind yourself of the reasons why you are getting back up. Is someone or something counting on you? Come on, you got this!
- Realize that the road to success may look different than you originally thought it would, and that’s okay! There may be obstacles on your journey, but think of them as detours. They might take you off course, on a longer route, but you will still get to your destination…even if it looks slightly different than you thought it might.
Having the ability to be resilient — to bounce back, regroup, and lead and inspire others — is an enormously important attribute that can make you much happier day in and day out.
Like building a muscle, increasing your resiliency takes time and intentionality, but it should not be ignored. Focusing on the points above can empower you to withstand and learn from difficult or traumatic experiences so I encourage you to tap into your resiliency and let the Resilient Women Rise Facebook community know when you need help! Seriously. That’s what we’re there for.
Xo
Lori Larsen