Blog | September 28, 2022

Why Resilience Matters & How We Can Develop It

Why Resilience Matters and How We Can Develop

“You grow through what you go through.”

A plant growing from the concrete.

Have you ever come across this remarkable example of nature showing resilience? How powerful is it to see just how badly that plant wants to grow?

Think back to a time in your life when you experienced uncertainty. Think of what you did to overcome that situation. In that moment, you demonstrated resilience. The reality is, that we cannot control everything that happens to us in this life, but we can control how we respond.

What Is Resilience?

The Resilience is:

A mindset. When you reframe a situation by changing how you look at it, you are creating a resilient mindset that is stronger than it was before and can therefore handle future uncertainties better. To create a resilient mindset, monitor your self-talk. Your thoughts, actions, and behaviours build resilience through difficult times.
Being creative. Find new strategies to combat uncertainties and grief when the old tactics can’t be used or aren’t helping you anymore.

Resilience is about finding ways to continue your life journey despite the challenges you face. Resilience is not about minimizing the severity of a situation, nor is it about being excessively (or unrealistically) optimistic. It’s about our inner strength and ability to handle stress – and to walk away from it with a clearer, stronger mind.

Why Resilience Matters

Research has shown that being resilient helps you recover from illness faster, live longer, improve at daily activities, and foster happier relationships. Remember that you were not born with resilience – it’s something you worked hard for, and likely are still developing.

How You Can Foster Resilience

Have compassion and kindness for yourself, rather than judging yourself
Remember that resilience helps you thrive and reach your full potential, even when times are tough
Keep in mind that resilience doesn’t come from having a perfect life, and it won’t mean that you are happy all the time. It is okay to live with imperfections in your life.
Accept that it is normal to feel angry or upset when you face challenges
Consider that resilience is about moving forward despite challenges, and comes from dealing with issues successfully
Find meaning in your life through faith or spirituality, hobbies, volunteering, nature, or spending time with friends and family
Know your strengths and foster them
Take care of yourself – your nutrition, exercise and sleep
Find whatever it is that brings you joy, comfort or gratitude
Reach out to people you trust – talk to them
Separate the things you do have control over from the things you don’t

You might not be the same person after overcoming a challenge – but you’ll have grown into a stronger person having faced it.