Experiencing life also means experiencing change, including both positive and negative change. When it comes to our physical and mental health, many people often try to avoid change to maintain their health. Through this, a lot of time and energy is spent, and when something unexpected and sudden happens, it can be a struggle to cope with those changes. Coping with change requires many health practices to work, and through better coping mechanisms, we can ultimately build better resilience to life’s struggles and find healthier ways of being.
Change, Resilience, and Mental Health
As of late, our world seems to be shifting from one crisis to another with the Covid-19 pandemic, economic uncertainty, and natural disasters. People all over are also experiencing their struggles through the loss of a loved one, tragic accidents, divorces, unemployment, and other traumas that seem impossible to overcome. Through this, these difficult times can take a heavy toll on one’s physical and mental health, affecting one’s outlook and mood greatly. Because of these upheavals, the feelings and sensitivities to various changes, even positive ones, can look daunting to face.
Building resilience can help you through these hardships and give you ways to maintain a more positive outlook when faced with uncertainty. Resilience isn’t a character trait but rather an ongoing process that requires effort to build over time. Ultimately, resilience is the mental fortitude to maintain your sense of self and create positive change, even when there isn’t any to be found. Resilience can help you:
- Be focused and flexible during moments of change
- Face fear when looking at new experiences or uncertainties
- Managing strong, negative emotions such as anger or despair
- Improve your communication with others, especially under pressure
- Bring out confidence and self-esteem when problem-solving in uncertain circumstances
Resilience comes from traumatic experiences and drastic changes, but resilience is also a choice in thought. This concept stems from the idea that you are not powerless in your circumstances, even when you cannot change everything around you, and through therapy, resilience can be built.
Ways to Build Your Resilience To Change
Building resilience and the ability to cope with change comes with practice. Therapy sessions can help you increase your toolset for healthier practices and become more adaptive to change. Depending on the type of mental health therapy you choose, various techniques can help you, including:
- Practice Mindfulness: Mindfulness can help track down the thought process during various moments of change and help better influence behavior and emotional response to changes.
- Track Thoughts and Emotions: By tracking these emotions and thoughts, outlooks on life and philosophies about oneself can gradually change from pessimistic to optimistic.
- Building Confidence Through Action: Through this steady awareness, negative circumstances can be approached through action, in-action, and problem-solving techniques.
- Finding Independence Through Self Worth: By taking action under these circumstances, a sense of self is improved and can positively influence mental well-being.
To learn more about building resilience, the best place to begin practicing these coping methods is through your local therapist, psychiatrist, or psychologist.
