by Connie Shannon, with Niseema Dyan Diemer LMT, SEP,BCPP
There are those who seem to rebound from adversity, have made plans through the pandemic and somehow manage to stay involved, even optimistic. What's their secret? Resilience.
We are all born with resilience. Sometimes you need to remember how to access it, to dip into your reserve. Resilience gives you the ability to be a warrior not a victim knowing that, "This too shall pass."
Where, in your daily life, can you make small changes that result in expanding your resilience? The Six Domains of Resilience are a reminder of what you can use to come back from stressful situations, building resilience and expanding your capacity to:
1. Vision: keep in mind every life has a purpose, every community has a goal.
2. Composure: Staying in the now, instead of allowing an emotional "what if?" to take over, will result in a more positive outlook on the future.
3. Reasoning: What do I need to keep going? How do I care for myself and others? Make a list of resources you have from experiences to allies.
4. Health: If you are not getting good sleep, good nutrition or drinking enough water you will feel as if you cannot accomplish anything. Add in a walk or a bit of activity you enjoy like bike riding, mowing the lawn or stretching. A body in motion stays in motion and feels good doing it!
5. Tenacity: Know that you can do a little something every day that will make you feel accomplished. If you fall off, don't worry: you have come this far and can rebound. That's a sign of resilience!
6. Collaboration: Even in limited interactions/lockdown there are opportunities to work with friends and community groups. When people create a vision together there is hope, and a vested interest in making things work out for the best. Believing in tomorrow is the promise of resilience.