Resilience is a key skill required to survive and thrive in the world. People with high levels of resilience approach problems and stressors with a positive attitude, using flexible thinking to solve problems creatively. Here are some practical ways to improve your resilience.
Flexible thinking
Train your brain to look for multiple solutions before making a decision. When you are faced with a problem you need to solve, however small, take a step back and consider what your go-to approach is. Write this approach down on a piece of paper, and then challenge yourself to think of four alternative ways of solving the problem. The alternative methods can be as simple or complex as you like, and you do not actually have to use any of them in the given situation if your go-to solution is the best one.
Mastery
Select one skill that you know you struggle with and commit to building mastery by practising and developing this skill. Developing a skill you know you struggle with can be difficult and frustrating, so whenever you hit a stumbling block, pick one thing you can do well, then do something related to this skill to remind yourself how capable you are.
Goal setting
People with high levels of resilience don’t give up when the going gets tough; they keep persevering. If they hit a roadblock, they think of a creative way to overcome the issue. The best way to practice perseverance is to set a goal that is doable but challenging, and then commit to completing it.
Embrace your mistakes
Resilient people are not afraid of making mistakes because they know they can either figure out a way to fix things or learn an important lesson. Try reflecting on your past with love and compassion, identifying mistakes you made when you were younger and less skilled than you are now. Rather than feeling guilty or frustrated with yourself, consider what you learned from these mistakes — or if you haven’t learned a lesson, think about what you could take away from these mistakes in retrospect.
The more you engage with your own past mistakes as healthy, normal parts of life that teach you valuable lessons, the less afraid you will be of making mistakes in the future. This change in attitude can help you to approach new challenges with an open mind.
