This week is all about cultivating a resilient mindset.
This is an important practice to have in your life because being resilient allows us to be adaptable in our personal and business lives. It helps us to maintain balance in our lives during difficult or stressful periods, and can also protect us from the development of some mental health difficulties and issues.
What is resilience?
Resilience is what gives people the psychological strength to cope with stress and hardship. It is the mental reservoir of strength that people are able to call on in times of need to carry them through without falling apart. Psychologists believe that resilient individuals are better able to handle adversity and rebuild their lives after a struggle.
What Resilience Provides
Resilience does not eliminate stress or erase life's difficulties. People who possess this quality don't see life through rose-coloured lenses; they understand that setbacks happen and that sometimes, life is hard and painful. They still experience the negative emotions that come after a tragedy, but their mental outlook allows them to work through these feelings and recover.
Source: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-resilience-2795059
10 Ways to Build Your Resilience
The good news is that even if you're not a naturally resilient person, you can learn to develop a resilient mindset and attitude. To do so, incorporate the following into your daily life:
Learn to relax. When you take care of your mind and body, you're better able to cope effectively with challenges in your life. Develop a good sleep routine , try out a new exercise or use physical relaxation techniques , like deep breathing or meditation.
Practice thought awareness. Resilient people don't let negative thoughts derail their efforts. Instead, they consistently practice positive thinking . This means listening to how you talk to yourself when something goes wrong – if you find yourself making statements that are permanent, pervasive or personalized, correct these thoughts in your mind.
Edit your outlook. Practice cognitive restructuring to change the way that you think about negative situations and bad events.
Learn from your mistakes and failures. Every mistake has the power to teach you something important, so look for the lesson in every situation.
Choose your response. Remember, we all experience bad days and we all go through our share of crises. But we have a choice in how we respond: we can choose to react with panic and negativity, or we can choose to remain calm and logical to find a solution. Your reaction is always up to you.
Maintain perspective. Resilient people understand that, although a situation or crisis may seem overwhelming in the moment, it may not make that much of an impact over the long-term. Try to avoid blowing events out of proportion.
Set yourself some goals. If you don't already, learn to set SMART, effective personal goals that match your values , and that can help you to learn from your experiences.
Build your self-confidence. Remember, resilient people are confident that they're going to succeed eventually, despite the setbacks or stresses that they might be facing. This belief in themselves also enables them to take risks: when you develop confidence and a strong sense of self, you have the strength to keep moving forward, and to take the risks you need to get ahead.
Develop strong relationships. People who have strong connections at work are more resistant to stress, and they're happier in their role. This also goes for your personal life: the more real friendships you develop, the more resilient you're going to be, because you have a strong support network to fall back on. (Remember that treating people with compassion and empathy is very important here.)
Be flexible. Resilient people understand that things change, and that carefully-made plans may, occasionally, need to be amended or scrapped.
Source: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/resilience.htm
5 Tips on how to be resilient with your business
Hope for the upside, but plan for the downside. “In business, it’s easy to let a vision of great things ahead trick you into ignoring the real possibility of failure,” Webb says. “Every entrepreneur does it. Every great business has more than one plan.
Let go when your gut tells you to. “You have to trust your instincts and learn when to step away, and to find another path,” Webb says. “Rather than beat your head against a stone wall, find a way around, over, or under that wall, and continue on the new path of your choosing.” - James Webb
Dive in the deep end – even if you’re not fully ready. “Pursue your next path regardless of your level of preparation,” he says. “Be decisive. Be confident in the fact that if you’re smart and focused, you’ll learn faster when you’re in over your head or out of your depth.” - James Webb
Learn the powers of contingency management. “Manage the situation, but don’t rule it,” Webb says. “Care for your people, but don’t set them up for failure by micromanaging them. Hold them accountable but don’t be a dictator. Being resilient as a company and pivoting the right way can only happen if there is mutual trust and a comfort level between the business owner and his workforce.” - James Webb
See every closing door as a new one opening. “I have found that the most important lessons in life are the ones you don’t see coming,” he says, “and they bring opportunities you hadn’t considered. When a new opportunity presents itself as a better way, take the risk.”- James Webb
Even if you aren’t naturally resilient, you can learn to build this skill which will help with all aspects of your life and business.
week 29 book
Our book inspiration this week is Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, by Sheryl Sandberg.
Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In is a massive cultural phenomenon and its title has become an instant catchphrase for empowering women.
Sandberg draws on her own experience of working in some of the world's most successful businesses and looks at what women can do to help themselves, and make the small changes in their life that can effect change on a more universal scale
WEEK 29 PODCAST
Our podcast inspiration this week is ‘ The Resilient Podcast’ which is a podcast that has resilience interviews, practical tips and thought leadership on-demand.
The Resilience Institute’s podcast, dedicated to helping you bounce, grow, connect and flow.