Problems and stress are an unavoidable fact of modern life. We encounter it every day, seemingly all the time. They could have many sources, from caring for our children or parents to maintaining a positive balance in the bank to holding down a job. To add to this, there will always be unexpected events – deaths, disasters, illnesses – which can happen without warning. With all of these potential sources of stress, it’s no small wonder many people go through life under a great deal of pressure, frustrated by the many pressures consuming all of us every day. Over a period of time, these stressors, from the trivial to the severe, add up to result in total exhaustion – before you’ve even begun your day.
There is no way to escape stress. It’s a natural part of life in a complex and unpredictable world. However, there are ways in which you can learn to deal with your stress when it is present and to recover more quickly when it has passed. This collection of skills, habits, philosophies, and characteristics is what we call “resilience.” These skills make it possible to stay flexible and calm in the face of distress. By learning to become emotionally resilient, you can drastically improve your health, your overall mood, and most importantly, protect yourself against the negative effects of stress.
To be resilient, put simply, means to be able to bounce back after we’ve been knocked down. Emotional resilience refers to the ability to spring back into shape emotionally, after going through a difficult and stressful period of time. Or as Carole Pemberton says, It is the capacity to remain flexible in our thoughts, feelings and behaviours when faced by a life disruption, or extended periods of pressure, so that we emerge from difficulty stronger, wiser and more able.”
How to develop emotional resilience?
Resilience is not a quality that you either have or do not have; there are some steps you can take to start developing it. To help you achieve this, we put together an infographic with 7 key steps you can take to slowly work on your emotional skills.
MindOwl Founder – My own struggles in life have led me to this path of understanding the human condition. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy before completing a master’s degree in psychology at Regent’s University London. I then completed a postgraduate diploma in philosophical counselling before being trained in ACT (Acceptance and commitment therapy).
I’ve spent the last eight years studying the encounter of meditative practices with modern psychology.
