Resilience
Giving a Shout out to…
Everyone who is developing Resilience amidst the turbulence of the last year. Between the constraints imposed by the international COVID pandemic, the social movements spurred by the senseless murders and other hate crimes recently perpetrated, and the complexities of orchestrating work and school in a single home environment, we’ve all been under tremendous pressure to not only survive, but to actually thrive!
What I’m currently Thinking about…
Do we have unrealistic expectations about we should be doing during this time of immense stress? Social media and other outlets are telling us that we should be making valuable use of this “downtime”, be it through a physical transformation or an intellectual one. The expectation to emerge from lockdown with a new look, weight loss or “glow-up” is real, reinforced by social media. Being at home (possibly without a job) is no reason to mindlessly binge watch the latest series on your favorite streaming platform. Instead, that is time better spent sharpening skills, like learning a new language or taking an online course. But what if the real triumph is that we emerge with our mental and emotional well-being intact, or better yet, stronger? In other words, become more Resilient? How do we achieve that goal without amplifying the levels of stress we’re already dealing with?
References, resources, and reading material…
According to the Bounce Back Project (bouncebackproject.org), Resilience is comprised of 5 pillars: self-awareness, mindfulness, self-care, positive relationships & purpose. Attributing domains to something as subjective as “resilience” gives us an opportunity to take specific action to build up our ability to live well in the midst of significant turmoil.
Anticipating that everyone will soon give in to their urge to re-enter society, a recent Inc. article urges us to only engage 80% of our energy to post-lockdown socialization. The reserve should act as an emotional cushion to buffer the inevitable unexpected curve balls that life will continue to throw our way.
Additionally, there are a multitude of tools available to help us all become more mindful and less stressed, including apps and other platforms that cater to needs particular to specific portions of the population. In addition to more well-known platforms such as Headspace and Calm, there is a new meditation app designed to address needs of BIWOC named Exhale (available on App Store and Google Play).
Something new I learned…
Just like an exercise program or an eating plan, a methodology and a spirit of intentionality are required to become more Resilient. A healthy dose of experimentation is also necessary, as the right approach is a bit different to everyone. So, if Resilience is centered around improving the quality of our self-awareness, mindfulness, self-care, positive relationships and purpose, then we have to do more of what adds value in our lives and eliminate that which does not.
Daring greatly…
Armed with this new perspective, I’m redrawing the boundaries of what is and is not contributing to my ability to be more Resilient. For me, that means spending time with people who affirm and challenge me; participating in events and organizations that operate on missions that feel relevant to my values; and curtailing my social media consumption.
Is anybody else Excited about…
Implementing new methods to boost Resilience? I’m currently modifying what self-care means to me, and what practices are most effective for where I am right now. I’ve acknowledged that it is not selfish to take care of myself; if I don’t, I have nothing left for others. I’ve become a serious fan of creating weekly spa-like bath experiences that engage all the sense, complete with at-home facials, aromatic oils, and soothing music!