Chances are you have come across a social media post on emotional resilience in the past. You’ve probably read that good leaders and top performers are masters of emotional resilience. It’s why they remain successful and continue to climb despite what comes their way.
But is it really as game-changing as practically every self-help guru and behavioral psychologist preaches?
Let’s find out.
01What Is Emotional Resilience?
Emotional resilience is your ability to bounce back from setbacks, adapt to change, and keep going even when life takes unexpected turns. It’s like having a superpower that helps you weather the storms of life without losing your cool, keeping you focused on what matters most
Making the right decisions.
Why Does It Matter So Much? A salesperson is expected to master the art of selling by learning and improving their ability to communicate and control the conversation. It is advantageous for them to do this because it significantly increases their odds of success. In the same way, understanding emotional resilience is a key trait that helps you remain composed when major decisions need to be made or when you’re attacked without provocation.
It is advantageous to know how to control your emotions before they impact your decision-making process.
Some Other Observed Benefits Include:
- Improved Mental Health: When you’re emotionally resilient, you’re better able to cope with stress, anxiety, and depression. You understand your emotional needs more clearly and can identify what is affecting you and how. Being able to address that is a game changer for mental health.
- Stronger Relationships: Emotional resilience can also improve your relationships with others. You become more aware of how your emotions affect the quality of conversations and the impact they have on how you’re perceived. You also recognize that there is a balance between being objective and being emotional, and relationships with people exist on a spectrum between the two.
- Better Problem-Solving Skills: People who are emotionally resilient are often better at finding solutions to problems. They’re able to think more clearly and creatively, even when faced with difficult situations. If you’re not panicking, hyperventilating, or running a thousand negative scenarios in your head, then there’s a good chance you’ll do a better job solving your problems. You essentially free up more “processing power” to focus.
- Increased Happiness: Happiness is a state of mind, and if you maintain a positive outlook, your perspective on life also becomes positive. You become more open to challenges and adventures, and opportunities become easier to spot. The confidence to handle difficult situations keeps your emotions in check, which means that while you problem-solve, you’re still able to enjoy life.
02Building Resilience
Building emotional resilience is a task that requires months of being cognizant of your behavior and keeping track of the effects emotions have on you. A daily journal is the best way to explore your resilience and understand what areas need work. Click here to explore my experience with journaling.
Once you have a clear picture of how your emotions are impacting you, you can begin building resilience by applying these five techniques:
- Cultivate a Positive Outlook: Look for the silver lining in every situation. Instead of focusing on the negatives, learn to recognize and appreciate the positives. This doesn’t mean ignoring the challenges you face, but rather approaching them with a mindset of growth and learning. Try reflecting on previous negative periods to see what you learned from them. Train yourself to respond that way when actively dealing with problems.
- Practice Self-Care: Taking care of yourself is crucial for building resilience. Make sure to get enough sleep, eat well, exercise regularly, and take time to do things you enjoy. Self-care isn’t selfish; it’s necessary for your well-being. The key is setting a routine for daily rituals like sleep and wake-up time, workout time, reading time, etc. Sticking to this will automate behaviors that might otherwise feel like a chore. When motivation is limited, discipline should step in to keep you on track.
- Build a Strong Support System: Surround yourself with people who lift you up and support you. Having friends, family, or a community you can turn to in times of need can make a big difference in how you cope with challenges. It’s also wise to connect with people outside your main interests, because a circle’s strength and value increase when it broadens your horizons.
- Develop Problem-Solving Skills: Most of us suffer from “getting overwhelmed by the big picture,” and our inability to respond analytically can cause anxiety or lead us to quit. Learning to direct focus like a magnifying glass helps you break problems down into smaller parts, making them easier and more manageable to solve.
- Practice Mindfulness: Barring a few medical conditions, if you experience attentional blinks and find it difficult to regain focus, you need to practice mindfulness, which is just a fancy word for meditation. Fifteen minutes a day, early in the morning right after a good stretch, should be part of your daily ritual. Don’t seek benefits, just be present for the meditation. When thoughts try to pull your attention, become an observer of them. Don’t interact or engage. It takes practice, but fifteen minutes a day over two weeks alone had a big impact on how I focused on my tasks. There’s now a nagging feeling to get back on track whenever I lose focus.
Building emotional resilience takes time and effort, but the benefits are well worth it.
The whole process is truly like working out your muscles, you show up every day, and after a certain period of time, you begin to see amazing changes in your appearance.
With emotional resilience, you start to notice a change in how you appear, and how you want to appear, which leads to a positive impact on your sense of self. Consider it a powerful personal management tool if you are looking to maintain a standard for yourself.
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