Rengganis Rizka Prasanti People are naturally adaptable. Just like other skills, resilience is something anyone can cultivate, but not everyone is aware of their capacity to build resiliency.
Some factors that determine how resilient a person is are external and oftentimes not fully within our control, such as a robust community, a healthy childhood, and a supportive friend group.
However, another important factor to cultivate resilience is mindfulness, a skill within our control that we can learn and practice for ourselves.
To understand how to develop our resilience through mindfulness, let’s dive into what resilience is and how mindfulness can help.
Defining Resilience
Resilience is the process of successfully bouncing back or persevering after facing adversity. According to the American Psychological Association, it is the process of adjustment and adaptation to the external and internal demands of a difficult situation.
A resilient person is optimistic, with a bigger focus on the future and the possibility of improvement. They have a good awareness of their capability and a good understanding of various coping strategies for different situations (Yates & Masten, 2004).
Another characteristic of a resilient person is a strong sense of meaning or purpose in life (Ackerman, 2017). People who believe that they’re after a greater purpose in their lives are less likely to give up when facing hardships.
How Mindfulness Works with Resilience
Similar to resilience, mindfulness is a skill that can be trained. Simply put, mindfulness is the awareness of one’s internal states and surroundings.
It is the ability to slow down and become aware of our thoughts, emotions, and how we react to the current situation.
Multiple studies have shown that people who practice mindfulness are also more resilient (Bajaj & Pande, 2016, Seng Oh et al., 2022). Mindfulness is also closely tied to other characteristics such as better psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and adaptability.
Mindfulness is often promoted as an exercise to improve our stress management ability, which is an important aspect of resilience.
When we are mindful, we can choose to pause and observe our thoughts and emotions during a difficult time, without becoming overwhelmed or emotionally shutting down (Jacobs, 2015).
Mindfulness Exercises for Resilience
The positive effects of mindfulness are well-known, but it’s hard to practice a habit without knowing what to do and where to begin. Here are some simple exercises you can try.
Gratitude Journal
Over time, journaling has become an increasingly popular mindfulness practice, due to how simple and effective it is. You don’t need special tools or hours of courses to start – just pick up a pen and paper.
Journaling can be guided or unguided. However, many people find themselves struggling to start with a blank page and find it easier with prompts.
Such is the case with gratitude journaling. This type of journal helps you focus on the topic of gratitude. Some ideas to start your gratitude journal are:
- List 5 things you are grateful for today and why.
- Write a letter to someone who has made your life more meaningful.
- Write down a particular event that has made you feel grateful lately.
Resilience is about optimism and having hope for the future. Keeping a gratitude journal helps us remember the small things that move us forward during difficult times.
Read More: Practicing Gratitude for Better Mental Health
Grounding Exercise
Intense difficult situations, such as grieving the loss of a loved one, can be overwhelming.
Grounding exercises help you stay connected to reality and become aware of what’s going on within you, both physically and emotionally.
A study with school teachers has shown that grounding can reduce anxiety and help regulate emotions better (Pirzadeh & Abolatebi, 2023), especially during times when you feel them become overwhelming.
One way to help you focus inward is through a guided breathing exercise.
Put your hand over your stomach while you breathe in and out, focusing on each inhale and exhale. This exercise helps you observe and become aware of your body and the emotions you are feeling.
Another technique you can try is the 5-4-3-2-1 method. This exercise is known to help with anxiety and can help you return to the present when you’re starting to feel anxious or overwhelmed. To do this exercise:
Name 5 things you can see in the room with you.
Name 4 things you can feel at the moment.
Name 3 things you can hear right now.
Name 2 things you can smell right now, or like the smell of.
Name 1 good thing about yourself.
Meditation
Lastly, meditation is effective in improving your mindfulness and promoting resilience. It is a way to relax your body and focus on your mind.
Start by finding somewhere quiet to sit down comfortably. Straighten your upper body and let your hands drop on the top of your legs. Relax and focus your attention on your breath and the sensations in your body. When you start to feel your mind wander, observe your thoughts as they pass and slowly return your attention to your breathing.
How often should you practice meditation for the best result? The answers may vary, but a Harvard news article suggests that 10 minutes per day is a good start for beginners (Mineo, 2018). The most important part is consistency, not the length of each session.
As with any other skill, we have to continuously train to become more mindful and improve our resilience. And like any other journey, it’s always easier when you have someone to share it with.
Talk to us on HelloReyo about your story and how you want to strengthen your resilience.
References
Ackerman, C. E. (2017). How to Measure Resilience With These 8 Scales. Retrieved from https://positivepsychology.com/3-resilience-scales/
Bajaj, B., & Pande, N. (2016). Mediating role of resilience in the impact of mindfulness on life satisfaction and affect as indices of subjective well-being. Personality and Individual Differences, 93, 63-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.09.005
Jacobs, T. (2015). Evidence mounts that mindfulness breeds resilience. Greater Good Magazine.
Mineo, L. (2018). With mindfulness, life’s in the moment. Retrieved from https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/04/less-stress-clearer-thoughts-with-mindfulness-meditation/
Pirzadeh, A., & Abotalebi, Z. (2023). The effect of relaxation education intervention on stress, anxiety, and depression in female teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic Relaxation education intervention in female teachers. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 12(1), 348.
Seng Oh, V. K., Sarwar, A., & Pervez, N. (2022). The study of mindfulness as an intervening factor for enhanced psychological well-being in building the level of resilience. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1056834
VandenBos, G. R. (2007). APA dictionary of psychology. American Psychological Association.
Yates, T. M., & Masten, A. S. (2004). Fostering the future: Resilience theory and the practice of positive psychology.
