Building Resilience | Blog

Resilience  is a term often used when we talk about mental health and personal development, but what exactly is it?

Simply put, resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity, to adapt and grow in the face of challenges.  It is not about avoiding difficulties or pretending they don't exist; rather it's about facing them head-on and emerging wiser and stronger on the other side.

It's resilience that enables us as individuals to  ­withstand, adapt and recover from life's uncertainties.

Throughout life, we all encounter challenges that can be difficult to process and navigate.

Most of us will be familiar with some of these challenges and they come in various forms - loss, failure, rejection, or even unforeseen circumstances like a global pandemic.

No matter how well we plan, life has a way of throwing curve balls our way. It's in the face of these challenges, that resilience becomes our guiding light, helping us navigate through the darkest of times and to emerge stronger on the other side.

Resilience acts as our armour, shielding us from the negative effects of stress and adversity.

Resilience and positive mental health go hand in hand. Resilience allows us to be better equipped to cope with stress and enjoy greater overall mental and emotional health.

Consider the loss of a loved one, being made redundant, a relationship breakup or a serious illness.  In each of these situations, resilience enables us to find meaning amongst the chaos, to pick up the pieces and find a way forward.  It's the inner strength that propels us forward when all seems lost, reminding us that every setback is an opportunity for growth.

Maintaining resilience is an ongoing process and takes work, time, and commitment. A bit like our physical health, when we exercise, we are strengthening our body and muscles. Resilience works in the same way. It's something we need to work on and cultivate to protect and ready ourselves to face life's challenges.

But how can we ensure we're cultivating resilience in our own lives?

It's good to think of resilience as a way of life. Something we can be more mindful of and nurture.

There are different things we can do to flex our resilience muscle and help build and maintain our resilience. We asked some of our  Peer Support Workers  to share their advice and practical tips on what works for them:

  Be kind to yourself.  Learning to be kinder to yourself can help with how you feel in different situations. Try to take breaks in your day for things you enjoy. And reward yourself for your achievements, even if they seem small.

  Try to find time to relax.  This might feel hard if you can't do anything to stop a situation that is making you stressed. But if you can allow yourself a short break, this can help with how you feel.

  Develop your interests and hobbies.  Spending time on things you enjoy could help distract you from a stressful situation. If stress is making you feel lonely or isolated, shared hobbies can also be a good way to meet new people.

  Spend time in nature.  This can help to reduce stress and improve wellbeing. You could try going for a walk in a green space, taking care of indoor plants, or spending time with animals.

  Look after your physical health.  Getting enough sleep, staying physically active and eating a balanced diet can make stress easier to manage. Stress can sometimes make these things difficult to look after. But even small changes can make a big difference.

  Communication and planning.  Both are key to resiliency.

  Practice Self-compassion.  Try to treat yourself with kindness and understanding, especially when faced with setbacks or failures. Acknowledge your emotions without judgement and allow yourself time and space to process what's going on around you. By nurturing and being compassionate towards ourselves first, we improve our capacity to handle life's obstacles and are better prepared to support those around us.

  Learn from setbacks.  View your setbacks as opportunities for growth and learning. Try and reflect on your past experiences and anything you've learnt from them as this is what we need to fuel personal development and growth.

  Tuning into your needs.  Self-awareness and tuning into our own feelings can help us build resilience by adapting our behaviour to best meet our needs.