Wherever you may currently be, checking the news day to day has rarely been more frightening. Social, political and economic panic. Financial market volatility. The daily count of those at risk, infected, and now dead.
We’re all facing tough decisions and anxiety and for many of us the temptation is simply to hide. Hide from the news, hide from social interaction, hide from a world where survival became that much more risky overnight.
It is scary, and it’s absolutely okay to be worried or anxious. However, we must also be calm, decisive and resolute, rather than being petrified by fear.
In my opinion, it's exactly in these kinds of circumstances we learn most about our self, most about others, and most about our global systems. I also believe most of us will fight this situation positively and emerge far wiser and stronger.
So, what knowledge and tools can we use to effect those positive outcomes?
I’ve been a Resilience expert for many years now – helping people and organisations survive and thrive amidst troubled times. And I believe Resilience is the super-power we most need now to stay bright while the outlook seems gloomy and dark.
Here are my secret Resilience ingredients we can all use to build our resistance and boost our immunity against Coronavirus.
1. Self-Awareness
Self-awareness has been proven to be one of the key elements of resilience (Sharp, Jennings, 2015) . Our lives are normally projected outside: we plan our free time, we dedicate attention to what we wear, we choose carefully the coolest restaurant. Now it’s time to focus inside. Listen to yourself: know your triggers and your weaknesses. Learn how to recognise your strengths and capacities.
2. Be Proactive
Events in our life can either crush us or make us change for the better. The way we react to the traumatic events happening in our life defines our ability to jump back in and be successful. Science demonstrates how trauma really can make us stronger (Bonanno and Mancini, 2008). So, we can actively use the challenges we now face to thrive.
3. Acceptance
Failure and change are unequivocal parts of life. The quicker we accept them, the easier it is to keep going and achieve the goals we aspire to. One study on children and young adults showed how acceptance is fundamental to achieve resilience (Karapurakkel et al., 2015). Don’t be angry at the situation, try to accept and make the most out of it.
4. Flexibility
Don’t, like me, confuse perseverance with obstinacy. At times I’m so determined it's a fault! It’s okay to change your mind and it’s okay to change your plan. If the ideas you settled in your mind end up not working, don’t get upset or blame yourself. Let it go and move on, especially as current events are changing every miunute.
5. Breathe!
Reboot your brain and shift your mind set simply by taking a breath. Now more than ever is the time to practice mindfulness and meditation. And the scientifically proven brain effects are extraordinary (Kwak et al., 2019). You don’t need to meditate like a pro or go on retreat, just go for a walk, leave your phone at home, and enjoy the scenery!
6. Self-Esteem
And Self-Esteem is the extra secret ingredient! Stay focused on your true values and always remember you’re worth of great things.
You may also be surprised to know just how many celebrities and big personalities struggled for years before reaching success!
Stephen King – one of the most famous authors of his time – got rejected 60 times before publishing his first short story. Jim Carrey and J.K.Rowling struggled financially before reaching global fame. Even Einstein struggled both in school and his career, well before becoming the very embodiment of intelligence itself.
Their secret? A giant dose of resilience and self-esteem!
Trust me: we got this! And as I said before, we’ll come out of this painful time wiser, stronger and happier.
Now that you have the recipe for perfect resilience, it’s time to get cooking!
Andrew
