By Natasha Amiri, CMWN Intern
Ever look at the world and wonder how some people can handle all the adversity and challenges they must live with, say due to war, natural disaster, or illness? Ever find yourself kind of comparing it to your life and think some people just must be more stronger or resilient? Well, before you sell yourself short and forget how truly capable you are, it turns out we all have innate resilience that we are born into this world with.
Research supports that our seed of resilience comes into fruition when faced with adversity, but can be hindered if feelings of self-defeat take over (Henderson et al., 2007). Key point here, is rather than honing in on the negative aspects of your life and feeling depleted with no hope, try to harness your inner-strength and motivation to strive to get out of whichever situation in life you’re not comfortable with.
Here are some tips taken from Henderson et al. (2007), that will make your uncanny resilience bloom:
1.) See challenges you’ve already overcome and share them with the community; tiny ones and big ones can help you see how strong you really are, while also potentially helping someone else do the same.
2.) Weed out negative relationships in your life that no longer serve you, and welcome new friends that understand and genuinely support you’re self-worth.
3.) Make a nice long list of all the qualities you admire about yourself, and repeat them every morning : )
Henderson, N., Benard, B., & Sharp-Light, N. (Eds.). (2007). Resiliency in action: Practical ideas for overcoming risks and building strengths in youth, families & communities. Resiliency in Action.
