How to become a more resilient person


When we talk about being a resilient person we are referring to a person’s ability to deal with difficult life problems and the ability to bounce back from them. Resilient people have a positive life outlook overall and deal well with stress. Although resilience can be something we’re born with and comes quite naturally to some, others have to learn these abilities and develop them over time. Today we’re looking at several techniques to focus on to become a more resilient person.

How to become a more resilient person

Break negative thoughts

Negative thought cycles can keep us locked in an ever-sinking downward spiral to which there feels like there is no escape. Train your mind to shift these negative thought cycles by using a behavioral break. Stop what you’re doing and start doing some exercise or sing along to your favorite song. This forces the brain to generate a new thought cycle. Focusing on deep breathing has also been found to be an effective tool for this.

Don’t fear the worst

When faced with a difficult situation, we tend to fear that the worst possible outcome will befall us. Although really terrible things can happen, do not assume that every bad experience will result in a catastrophe. Believing in the worst outcome sets us up for unnecessary stress. Think back to past experiences. Nine times out of ten, the outcome isn’t nearly as dreadful as we originally imagined it would be.

Face your fears

We can never avoid failure. We can never avoid life’s tribulations. Facing these fears and failures head-on is the best way to learn to deal with them. The more we experience, the tougher we become by learning from our mistakes. Only once we are willing to face failure, can we truly accept a challenge. Challenges are what propel us forward because overcoming them is how we grow.

Remove emotions

Humans are emotional beings, but some are more so than others. Emotional distancing is an important and powerful tool to acquire to become more resilient. It takes practice to achieve this and you can start by trying to be a fly on the wall and observing the tough situation as if from an outsider’s perspective. The observer would not be run over with emotions. They would be calm and would be able to evaluate the problem from all perspectives and each person’s view.

How to become a more resilient person

This will pass

During stressful and difficult times our minds do not think clearly. By reminding ourselves that everything has an ending and this situation is no exception, we allow ourselves to feel a sense of relief. Imagine the not so far future and the current stress being over. This will reduce the intensity of the situation overall.

Take solace in knowing that everything happens for a reason. Finding the silver linings during our most difficult times can sometimes seem impossible, but there’s always a valuable lesson we learn or a life-changing experience that moves us onto another path altogether. Practice these techniques and start becoming a more resilient person, today.

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