We are all part of the hustle and bustle of life, making us all victims of stress. Coping with this stress seems to be one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century. Emotional resilience is argued to be able to help us adapt positively to stressful working conditions, manage emotional demands, foster effective coping strategies as well as improve mental health. Here are 10 tips to develop and improve emotional resilience:
- Focus on what you can control, not what’s out of your control. Be solution-focused, not problem-focused.
- Use events as learning experience. The Chinese symbol for crisis is made of he two symbols for danger and opportunity. Be flexible and open minded.
- Alter your perception. Don’t try to change others!As Epictetus said in 1 A.d., “It is not events which disturb us, but our views of those events.” Enhance rational thinking to prevent negativity from spinning out of control.
- Limit your hostility factor. The negativity and anger we harbor for others is more destructive tot he one who harbors the resentment. Be generous and giving in spirit and avoid negative focus.
- Strive for GOODNESS, not PERFECTION! Give up the need to be right. Limit defensiveness. Forgive- both yourself and others. Accept limitations. Let go of “shoulds” which make one bitter.
- Develop Compassion. choose kindness over being right. resist the need to be critical.
- Develop good self-care habits. Allow yourself “mental health breaks” and “time out” regularly. Take care of needs in mind, body and spirit. Eat well, exercise and get enough sleep. Pamper yourself. Set limits, prioritize, and delegate.
- Don’t isolate yourself – CONNECT! Avoid self-absorption. Seek to understand – not to only be understood.
- Look for humor in things. Lighten up! Life is too serious to be taken too seriously. Accept that life isn’t fair!
- Develop Mindfulness. Learn to live in the present. don’t ruminate on events, which can’t be changed.
