Walk the Walk when it Comes to Resilience

Resilience is the new buzzword right now. Everyone is talking about what it is and how to get it. The word ‘resilience’ means the ability to bounce back after adversity. Many people have it but to talk about it is not the same as doing it. When you actually walk the walk, it holds more weight than just talking about it. Learn how to get on board with the resiliency trend and focus on the traits that will help you when recovery gets tough.

Lose the Hype

When a word becomes trendy, or ‘buzzworthy,’ everyone from celebrities to the random person on the street seem to know what it is. Resilience is a term that has been around for many years but people are just now grasping the concept. Companies are working with employees to build resilience into training as well as leverage strategies for profitability based on resilience with consumers. Personally speaking, resilience is focused on how to become stronger and more capable of weathering the storms of life. When you are in recovery, resilience is a necessary thing to help pick yourself up from life’s trials and keep moving (without relapsing). Don’t buy into the hype; learn how to build resilience as a lifestyle rather than a short-term habit.

A How-To Primer

It is easier to be more reactive than proactive. Taking a stance proactively means setting yourself up for more success up front rather than hope you can weather the storm after it happens. The following suggestions can help build a resiliency toolkit:

• Be flexible and realize change is part of life
• Make realistic plans
• Maintain a positive attitude
• Communicate openly with yourself and others
• Remind yourself of positive coping strategies that worked in the past
• Engage in recording feelings
• Find a way to manage stress
• Be decisive
• Use creative techniques for managing difficult situations
• Incorporate mindfulness into everyday life
• Exercise and build physical strength which helps the mind be stronger

Resilience is a mindset. It is about finding the positive in a challenging situation. If you are in recovery from any form of mental illness or the experiences of suicidality and feel like resilience is not your gig, think again. You have already come this far. You are more resilient than you give yourself credit for at this moment. Take credit where it is due and think about other ways to build resilience into your everyday life. It just might help you see the silver lining when the next speed bump comes your way without it throwing you totally off course. An attitude built around resilience can help you navigate it with a fresh perspective and an attitude of gratitude.

Katherine is a Lived Experience Consultant, Advocate, Speaker and Facilitator in the areas of Mental Health, Suicide, Family Domestic Violence. She is a passionate Lifeline WA and Wellness for Women Ambassador and a Media Advocate for the Voices of Change - Our Watch and hosts and produces a radio show called "Road to Recovery - Lived Experience Show"