Seven successful ways to build resilience

As millions of us are marching back to the new normal, it is not easy to overcome the challenges we all went through in the past months. During the unprecedented times, all we did was held on to personal and professional commitments as we were looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. The recent pandemic has consumed us and even changed lives 360 degree for some. As things are now taking small steps toward normalcy, it is now more than ever that building resilience forms an important aspect. 

Globally, people are still anxious as they are not certain about how the times ahead will look for them. Building resilience is one way to get through these testing times and overcome hardships. However, it is important to note that this is not something we are born with. It is built overtime and everyone responds to situations differently reflecting back on their experience and interactions they have had in similar circumstances.  Resilience can also be developed through neuroscience, mindfulness and emotional intelligence. Resilience is simply our ability to adapt and bounce back when things don’t go as planned.  At the onset, a resilient individual will show positive signs like shifting mindsets and extreme potential to navigate through uncertainties.

According to a leading psychologist, Susan Kobasa, challenge, commitment and personal control are three elements that are essential to resilience. Another leading psychologist, Martin Seligman explains that the way we explain a situation to ourselves is also very important. This can be explained in three main elements. 

• Permanence – to build resilience, one needs to understand that the effect of any unfortunate situation is only temporary. For Eg: “my teacher did not like my work on the project” rather than “my teacher never likes my work.”
• Pervasiveness – to develop resilience, one must not let one unfortunate event affect all areas of their lives. They have to understand that if they do not excel in a certain job, there are always other areas to excel in. 
• Personalization – it is important that people should not blame themselves alone when an unfortunate event occurs. One should treat an unfortunate incident as a lesson and derive key learnings rather than thinking they were at fault and beating themselves up.  You can thrive better if you do not allow failure to personally affect you. 

How can you build resilience in the current times?

1. Take care of your mind and body. Staying mentally and physically fit helps cope with challenges effectively. Sleep and exercise well. 
2. Do not let negative thoughts take over your peace of mind. Communication with yourself is key to develop resilience during challenging times. 
3. It is okay to make mistakes, but you have to be able to learn from each episode and implement the lessons in your daily life.  
4. Build your self-confidence. Knowing that you will eventually succeed will be a big contributor to the right actions you take from the start.
5. Be flexible, embrace change and adapt to changes. 
6. Cultivating compassion towards yourself and your peers is key to building resilience as a skill.
7. Build strong connections with yourself and people who are close to you. Accept help and support from those who care about you. 

During challenging times, our body and brain go through a number of changes designed to make us a more capable version of ourselves. Current times are witnessing people with immense stress and anxiety. If things are getting overwhelming for you, reach out to us for help by filling the form and we will get in touch with you. Our neuroscience experts will take you through a step-by-step process, helping you develop resilience and take you through the recent tough times of uncertainty and scare. 

Dr. Upasana Gala is the founder and CEO of Evolve Brain Training, a Neurofeedback-centered institute that focuses on using non-invasive brain training techniques to maximize the brain's true potential.