Resilience Activities That Keep You Strong

When the world has got you down, it can be hard to look past the immediacy of whatever is bothering you to think of better times. After all, life is full of peaks and valleys, and you're bound to encounter some positivity in short order. But in the moment, the good times can never come quickly enough.
What you need is resilience activities that can keep you strong. Instead of lingering on what's bothering you, this is the time to get to work. Working on a personal goal of yours or hanging out with a friend is a great way to move beyond negative thoughts, and before you know it things will be looking up again.
But don't think that resiliency is merely a matter of looking past the negative and focusing on the positive. Ignorance or disaffection isn't being resilient. Resilience is acknowledging the challenges that you've faced and working on building yourself back up. 
Growing in the face of adversity and adapting to your situation is at the core of resilience, and just like a muscle, you can work on building your resilience one step at a time. They're known as resilience activities, and the more you engage in bettering yourself when faced with adversity, the better you'll be able to meet the challenges of life and succeed -- even after failing.
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What is Resilience?
Like it or not, but life is full of challenges and various twists and turns that will test your resilience. From the death of a loved one to the end of a relationship or losing your job, traumatic events are a part of life. Everyone faces tough times at some point, and the way you deal with the challenges in life is a measure of your resilience.

Psychologically speaking, resilience is your ability to adapt when faced with trauma, adversity, tragedy, threats or stress. This can take shape as a health issue, financial problems or an issue with your significant other or a member of your family. Resilience is how you bounce back and move forward, not how well you ignore the issue and bury your head in the sand.

Sure, certain events and information can be painful and difficult to deal with, but they don't have to define who you are and where you're going in life. As the one in charge, you get to determine how these events shape who you are, and resilience activities are how you can do it.

Resilience Activities for You To Try

• As the first line of defense against the challenges of life, one of the best resilience activities is to build your interpersonal connections and prioritize your relationships. By connecting with others that understand you, you'll discover that you don't have to struggle alone. Trustworthy and compassionate friends or family can help you get back on track if life's got you down, and accepting help and concern from the people in your life is an important step.
  
• In addition to discussing your concerns with friends or family, joining a local support group is a great way to work through your challenges with others that are going through the same thing. Not only can a social support group help you reclaim hope, but other members may have some great ideas as to how you can move forward.
  
• Exercise and eating well is another resilience activity that you can do if you're feeling down. Because stress is physical as well as emotional, you'll need to strengthen your body as much as you work on your mind. Proper sleep, a good diet and physical activity are all ways to adapt to stress and conflict in your life, and when you're doing right by your body, your mind will eventually follow.
  
• Meditation, yoga, prayer or another spiritual exercise are also great resilience activities to help you strengthen the mind and build hope. If you're not one for silent self-reflection, journaling or creating a mood board can also help you better understand and more effectively deal with what you're facing.
  
• Another resilience activity to try is to put yourself out there and help others. By putting someone else's needs in front of yours, you'll be able to build a sense of purpose and self-worth, both of which can help bolster your resilience.
  
• When dealing with a particularly challenging event or situation, ask yourself how you can move forward. By digesting and analyzing your issue, you'll discover many ways that you can attack and move beyond the issue at hand. Don't make the mistake of trying to do everything at once, but breaking down a larger problem into manageable pieces can inspire you to take things one step at a time.
  
• When facing a particularly challenging issue, establish tangible goals and then work towards them. Even small wins can build your resilience, so don't think that it's all or nothing. Goals that you can accomplish in a day or two are great confidence boosters, and after stringing together a few of them you'll be well on your way towards building your resilience.
  
• Keeping perspective is another way to strengthen your resilience. No matter how bad you feel, feelings are often temporary. But if you're engaged in persistent negative thinking, you may inadvertently be sabotaging your resilience. Instead, think about how things will get better and how you'll be able to move beyond any issue.
  
• If there's one thing that's true in life it's that things change. Accept the change and try to learn from it instead of spending all your emotional resources on dragging your feet. By focusing on what you can control, you'll better prepare yourself for life's eventual changes.
  
• Staying positive can be a valuable resilience activity for those that are prone to negativity. Rather than carrying anxiety about the things you're fearful of, it's better to anticipate and think about positive outcomes, visualizing what you want instead of worrying about what you don't.
  
• Let the past be your guide. While you don't want to always live in the past, you can use situations in your past to help you confront overwhelming scenarios in the present. By looking at how far you've come, you'll learn that you're still moving forward every day.
  

Do You Need Help?
If you have persistent negative thoughts and these resilience activities aren't helping, you may need professional help. Quick Results Counseling is here for you with mental health treatment in the Bay Area and beyond. From in person visits to convenient, online sessions, we're here to help with any mental health issue. Contact us to schedule a 45 minute free consultation.