The COVID-19 pandemic challenged and redefined mental wellness for many of us. It brought mental fitness to the forefront of importance for individuals and organizations.
One of the mental wellness terms that started to be thrown around a lot during the pandemic was “emotional resilience.” Many might assume that this simply means being “tough.” But there’s more to this term than that. Understanding “emotional resilience” in its entirety is key to achieving mental wellness even in difficult times. We’ll explain what this means and why it is essential.
Historically, the majority of people assumed that trauma or stress were obstacles that you either overcame or you didn’t. It is now understood that the effects of such stress can often be challenging to detect and be long-lasting. The focus has shifted toward developing mental resilience over simply just having grit.
Emotional resilience generally refers to the ability to recover from difficult life events – the capacity to once again achieve a state of mental wellness. Emotional resilience is helpful for a wide range of difficulties, from stress and adversity to tragedy or trauma. Issues with work, health, finances, relationships, and safety can all severely affect our mental wellness.
Emotional resilience isn’t about denying or ignoring these sources of stress. Instead, it’s the ability to make sure that their effects are not permanent. It’s also the ability to undertake personal growth spurred by times of stress. Emotional resilience, therefore, isn’t just about recovery. It is about constant self-improvement and becoming stronger every day.
Dealing with stress has always been important, no matter the time and place. We can sometimes underestimate just how many sources of stress are present in the various facets of our lives. From our personal lives to our work to global events outside of our control, stress isn’t something that we can just “live with”.
Prolonged periods of stress can lead to real medical issues, ranging from depression and anxiety to heart conditions. Avoiding stress entirely is difficult, if not impossible for many of us. However, we all have the potential to overcome this stress and grow from and through it.
Developing resiliency isn’t something you do overnight. It’s a long process, defined by a series of choices made over your entire life. Resiliency is all about building up the habits that allow you to be in a place where you can tackle stress and trauma on your own terms.
One of the first ways you can begin to build resilience is through physical fitness. A healthy mind requires a healthy body. By getting enough exercise and eating a well balanced diet, you can better regulate your moods and stave off anxiety and depression. Physical hobbies are also an excellent way to center yourself and take your mind off of stressors.
Your social connections are also crucial for building your resiliency. Having people to talk to, socialize with, or spend time with can help drastically minimize feelings of loneliness. These kinds of social connections are what grounds you and help you build steady emotional resilience.
Finally, it’s essential to develop your mindfulness to be able to better understand yourself and your reactions to stressful situations. mindfulness in your day to day will slowly help you develop the emotional resilience you need. This can be in the form of journaling for 10 minutes in the morning, enjoying your coffee in peace while self reflecting or a walk during your lunch break.
If you’re looking for workshops on mental resilience or team bonding activities to help a team build resilience together, then Liberate is here to help. Our mental fitness programs will help your team develop the skills they need to start improving emotional resilience today.
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