A great way to build your resiliency and reduce your stress is to try one of more of these techniques.

We are approaching the one-year anniversary of when the COVID-19 lockdowns started, which brought a lot of additional stress to many (if not most) of us. While there have been a lot of challenges we all have faced, one thing I have noticed with the people I work with is their ability to be resilient. They understand that the victim mentality does not serve them, and that challenges make us stronger.

Interestingly, resilience is not something that comes naturally. It takes time, strength, practice, and dedication to build resilience. And it is never too late to start building it. A great way to start building your resiliency is to try one or more of the following techniques:

• Use the S.T.O.P. Method whenever you feel your blood is about to boil with someone or you feel you just want to run and hide. Instead of saying or doing something you will regret later, excuse yourself temporarily from the situation so that you can observe your emotional reaction and collect your thoughts. You return once you are calm and ready to proceed.
• Be willing to forgive others. Holding onto a grudge means you’re holding onto unnecessary stress. The act of forgiveness restores harmony within yourself and significantly reduces your stress in the process.
• Stop catastrophizing. Catastrophizing refers to the act of imagining all the worst-case scenarios instead of the more reasonable ones. When you focus on the negative, and especially the extreme negative, you attract negative energy. Remember, whether you are thinking a positive or a negative thought, your perception is your reality.

So give one of these ideas a try – it only takes a few minutes to experiment with them – and enjoy your newfound resilience.