Let’s start by taking a look at a definition of resilience. The Cambridge Dictionary defines resilience as the ability to be happy, successful, etc. again after something difficult or bad has happened.
Applying this concept to our daily lives, one example of resilience would be the extent to which people can bounce back from adversity or something bad that has happened to them - one example would be if you were walking along and a thief came and stole your phone. This is obviously a very distressing thing to happen emotionally, and that is before taking into account the financial loss (if you are uninsured) and all the data on your phone that someone else now potentially has access to.
How would you react in this hypothetical situation? Would you be scared to walk alone again? Or would you find a way to be optimistic about things and put this incident into the perspective of your whole life?
Looking on the bright side is a lot easier said than done, so I would like to share some tips on building resilience and a positive mindset with The Newtonian readers:
1.-Gratitude - it can be very helpful to think from time to time about what you have and are grateful for in life; appreciating these things can make a difference.
- Health matters - make sure that you actively look after your health. This includes eating well, exercising regularly and sleeping well.
- Goal-setting - I find that it helps to set goals which allow me to have something to work towards. Make sure to celebrate these successes too! They are a good counter-balance to negative things which happen in life.
- Build confidence - in my opinion, the greater your level of self-confidence, the more likely you are to correspondingly increase your resilience!
Sometimes (or actually, most of the time it seems!) bad things tend to happen to us at the most inconvenient times in life.
This is where perspective is important - I find it helps to ask myself if something will be significant in 6 months or 12 months from now. It sounds simple, but this has assisted me when I face the inevitable obstacles that life throws our way. It’s also important to consider how the great thinkers and thought leaders in society would deal with particular situations, and try to adjust our mindset and response to events accordingly.
Good luck in improving your resilience level and mindset, Newtonian readers. If you would like to learn more, this TED Talk by Professor Angela Lee Duckworth is highly recommended.