Insights on Building Resilience and Navigating Mental Health

In recent years, mental health has become a hot buzzword, but it’s a topic that runs much deeper than just being trendy. It’s woven into our everyday experiences, struggles, connections, and most importantly—our resilience.

Resilience, however, doesn’t come naturally for everyone, but it’s a skill we can all cultivate with time and effort.

What is resilience, and why does it matter?

Let’s start by understanding the true meaning of the word. Resilience is our ability to bounce back from setbacks, adversity, and challenges. But it’s more than just overcoming difficulties; it’s about learning to face them with strength and grace. Resilience can look different for everyone because it’s shaped by our experiences, support systems, and the unique ways we process our emotions.

A big part of resilience is internal—shaped by our attitudes, beliefs, and willingness to adapt. But an equally important part involves the relationships we build. As the saying goes, “It takes a village,” and when it comes to mental health, this could not be truer.

Recognizing the Importance of a Support Network

Building a strong support network is essential for developing resilience. Our relationships often influence how we cope with adversity. As someone who has faced multiple suicide losses, I can tell you firsthand how important it is to have people who understand what you’re going through—whether they are friends, family, or even colleagues you spend time with every day.

Finding a community can provide comfort and safety, especially when we’re in a bad headspace. Vulnerability about our struggles can be transformative, helping strip away the stigmas that keep us silent. After all, vulnerability isn’t a weakness—it’s our superpower.

Opening up about our fears and anxieties invites others to do the same. This shared experience creates a collective resilience that uplifts everyone involved. So, if you’re struggling, consider reaching out, sharing your story, and letting your guard down. You might be surprised by the support that floods in.

Being resilient isn’t about putting up with something difficult, being stoic, or figuring out how to handle a stressful or traumatic situation on your own. On the contrary, the key part of being resilient is the ability to reach out to other people to find support and know when you need to ask for help.

Mindfulness and Self-Care: Your Daily Essentials

In terms of mindfulness and self-care, these are two essential practices that should be at the forefront of your resilience toolkit. In our typically chaotic lives, it’s so easy to get caught up in the to-do lists and the minutiae and forget to pause and check in with ourselves. 

Mindfulness encourages us to slow down, breathe, and be present in the moment. It’s about noticing our thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations without reacting to them. Mindfulness allows us to create a buffer against overwhelming emotions. Incorporating the practice into our lives can be as simple as taking a few deep breaths or setting aside a few minutes daily to meditate.

Self-care, on the other hand, is about recognizing our needs and prioritizing them. And it can look like anything from pampering ourselves with a spa day to something as simple as allowing ourselves a little time to sit and read a book. It’s fundamental to remember that self-care isn’t selfish—it’s necessary. It replenishes our emotional gas tank and equips us to face the challenges life throws at us every day.

Seeking Professional Help: A Sign of Strength, Not Weakness

Despite our best efforts, there are times when we all need professional help. Seeking therapy or counseling should never be seen as a fallback. It’s an empowering step because mental health professionals offer tools and strategies that we may not uncover on our own.

It takes strength to admit when we need help, but reaching out is a vital part of our resilience. Therapy can provide a safe, non-judgmental space to explore our fears and challenges, while also equipping us with coping strategies for daily life.

So how to build resilience? It involves developing thoughts, behaviors, and actions that give you the ability to recover from traumatic or stressful events in life and learn from them.

Radical acceptance is the skill that helps you see reality as it is. Download our free worksheet with tips on how to practice radical acceptance and learn to refocus your attention on things you can do now to improve your well-being👉🏻 Practicing Radical Acceptance Worksheet

Celebrating Imperfections and Progress

It’s critical that we embrace the imperfections that make us human because we’re all innately flawed. Even the best of us. And resilience isn’t about being perfect—it’s about recognizing that life is messy and that it’s totally okay not to have it all figured out. In fact, we’re not supposed to have all the answers.

Celebrating small victories, though, no matter how insignificant they might seem, is a crucial part of the process. Every time we acknowledge our growth—whether it’s facing a fear, helping a friend, or even just getting out of bed in the morning—we’re reinforcing our resilience. 

Life isn’t about avoiding challenges, it’s about how we react to them. Embracing this mentality helps us cultivate a deeper sense of self-acceptance. Remember, celebrate progress rather than perfection, and focus on the times you’ve faced obstacles and have come through stronger. Because those experiences aren’t just badges of honor, they’re the foundation of resilience.

Take care of yourself

It’s easy to neglect your needs when you’re stressed and anxious. We often lose appetite, ignore exercise, and don’t get enough sleep in crisis situations.

You should nurture yourself even if you are troubled:

• Make time for activities and hobbies you enjoy
• Exercise regularly, get enough sleep, and create consistent bedtime rituals
• Eat healthy foods and stay hydrated
• Learn healthy stress management strategies and relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, guided imagery, or yoga
• Practice mindfulness
• Adopting a healthy lifestyle can strengthen your body, helping you adapt to stress and reduce the toll of negative emotions.

In addition to these self-care practices, considering online therapy can be a valuable resource to help you navigate and address the root causes of your stress and anxiety.

The Role of Hope and Positivity

While resilience is often linked with surviving hardships, it also relies heavily on the presence of hope and positivity. In a world that can feel overwhelmingly messy, keeping a positive attitude can be a game-changer. And this doesn’t mean ignoring or minimizing difficult feelings, instead, it’s about finding light even in the darkest moments.

And one way of helping us to cultivate hope is by allowing ourselves to feel gratitude. Regularly acknowledging what we’re thankful for, even during tough times, has a way of shifting our focus from what’s wrong to what’s right. And it’s a simple but powerful habit that has the potential to uplift our mood and reframe our perspective. 

Finding Purpose and Meaning

A crucial part of resilience is finding purpose. In the face of adversity, purpose serves as a driving force that propels us forward. Whether it’s through work, family, volunteering, or pursuing passions, activities that resonate with us underscore why we fight through challenges in the first place.

When life hits you with a challenge, lean into your support network, practice self-care and mindfulness, and reach out for professional help when needed. Embrace the journey, celebrate progress, and hold onto hope and purpose. Resilience isn’t about the absence of struggle; it’s a lifelong practice of learning how to pick ourselves up after we fall. This journey involves self-discovery, connection, mindfulness, and love—for both ourselves and others.

Final thought

How we navigate crises and traumatic events and cope with difficulties depends on how resilient we are. Building resilience takes time and requires motivation, but it’s worth it.

Becoming more resilient will help you get through difficult life circumstances easier and empower you to grow as a person.

If you’re working to enhance your resilience, you don’t have to navigate your journey all alone. If you don’t feel you’re making progress, consider seeking support from a mental health professional.

Calmerry counselors can help you build the mental and emotional resilience that you need to overcome setbacks that keep you from succeeding in different aspects of your life.