If I had to choose one personal attribute that best describes me, my life journey and
what has been called upon often to date, it would be RESILIENCE – also known as
GRIT or PERSERVERANCE. Let’s be honest when you really think about it – most, if
not all of us could.
Resilience is best described as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity,
trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress — such as family and
relationship problems, serious health problems or workplace and financial stressors.
In order to cope with unexpected changes and challenges in your life, there needs to
be - firstly an awareness that it is present and secondly, implementing changes that
will enable you to deal with the emotions that present both physically and mentally.
Everyone is different, so the extent to which everyone is facing their challenges is
different. There is no specific fix, solution or formula that will remedy all. However,
there are many ways to cope with stress, some of which have helped me immensely
and I will share them with you today.
My Relationship with RESILIENCE
My relationship with RESILIENCE is STRONG. From a very young age I was forced to
depend on it without ever realising the extent to its fullest until very recently. While
working with my mentors, we identified it pretty high up in my list of personal
attributes. As I reflected on this – it forced me to recall on all the situations where I
called upon my inner strength to help me through difficult situations. It did stir up
many emotions in me (and still does) but I believe that talking about it, sharing my
story and feeling the pain, is the only way to move forward in order to improve my
life.
Stress, anxiety, adversity, trauma and depression have all showed up at different
stages in my life and while it comes and goes I am so grateful that I have the tools
now to recognise when it sets in. Two years ago, chronic stress got the better of me
and led me to burnout. The scars still remain but no longer have an impact on who I
am and who I want to be. Thankfully, I am recovering and coming out the other end
with another layer of resilience under my belt!
I am a strong believer that when you are aware of a situation or circumstance that
you are able to make a change. With each situation that presents, I have the
confidence to deal with what ever comes my way with a lot more ease.
I would like to share with you a set of rituals that I use to help me cope with stress
and anxiety when it shows up and I hope it will also provide some benefit to you.
5 Ways to Cope with Stress
• Make connections that are supportive and who lift you up, not bring you
down. All too often we believe (through belief systems in society) that we
need to maintain certain relationships/friendships at all costs because we
have in the past. This is simply not true.
• Accept whatever circumstance arises. You can’t change that highly stressful
events are going to pop up in your life; however what you can change is how
you interpret and respond to these situations.
• Embrace change, as it is the only thing that is constant in life. By doing so it
eliminates some stress and anxiety and forces you to accept what you can’t
change or control. Believe me, it takes a big load off your shoulders.
• Move your body to help promote flow. When we are stressed and tense, the
body (muscles, fascia, bones) holds on to your stored emotions. So, engaging
in some form of exercise, whether it be low intensity eg. walking, yoga,
meditation or more vigorous exercise eg. running, strength training etc. will
help deal with stress and reduce aches and pains.
• Make time for you to be a better person to those around you. It is so easy to
get caught up in life and everyone else’s drama. If you are anything like me –
having empathy is a positive personality trait to have; however, it can also
work against you if you aren’t dealing with your emotions properly. Create
self-care rituals to reset and reconnect to your authentic self.
Activity: Self Reflection
Take a moment to stop and reflect on situations in your life that have required you
to make a decision to either give up or stand up and keep going? How has resilience
showed up for you?
As I was writing this it got me thinking…how many of us fly by life not really
understanding that we all have the ability to deal with pain, trauma, suffering and
overcome them to live a life full of love and passion?
What are you doing to manage stress that shows up in your life? I genuinely hope my
5 tips can offer you a starting point to healing situations in your life that are stopping
you from flourishing and living out your true purpose.
We all deserve to be happy.
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