ROAD TO RESILIENCE: Shaping an Adaptable Mindset with Hope

Resilience is our capacity to recover from life’s challenges. It is our mental toughness that we develop to overcome stress and situations resulting from the change, crisis, adversity, trauma, and personal loss. We can rebound from any situation, embracing the experience for better or worse.

With so much going on in the world, resilience should be our default mindset! The question is how do we develop such a powerful and positive mindset? Here are some of the ways we can do just that.

Mind your mindset

Determine what you can control. Some things are beyond us. Sometimes, situations happen of no fault of our own. The best thing to do is to look into how we address the concern. Remember, what we have full control over are our reactions. How we react is where we should put our focus on.

We should also turn difficulty into an opportunity to learn. Acknowledge your feelings, recognise the failure, and learn from it. By adopting a hopeful outlook, the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel will become clearer every single day.

Equipping your wellness toolbox

• Express gratitude. Reflect on at least 3 things that you’ve done well, what’s going well for you, who you feel thankful for, or things that make you feel positive. Write them in your journal!
• Positive self talk. Think of affirmative phrases that you can use as a mantra to remind yourself to take action or to calm down. Phrases like “I can do this” or “I can manage this” can go a long way.

Practice self-care

Review your current coping mechanisms. Recognise what has helped you cope with past challenging situations. Be aware of the way you react to things. Delineate between what helps with what does not so you can strengthen positive coping mechanisms while improving on the negative ones.

You also have to learn to manage your stress. Identify what stressors you may have. This could be internal (habits, attitudes) or external (relationships, work). See how you can improve on them. If change can help, then pursue it. Bottom-line is, take care of yourself. We need to be healthy to meet life’s challenges. This includes your mental health!

Equipping your wellness toolbox

• Exercise. Physical activity boosts happy hormones so try to incorporate 30 minutes of exercise every day!
• Pursue new hobbies. Learn a new language. Try your hand at calligraphy. Enrol in an online music course. Creative pursuits will keep your mind busy.
• Nourish your body. A good diet fuels the body and fuels the soul. Be mindful of what you eat.
• Relax. You need to slow down. It will not do you any good if you just keep on going and going. Find somewhere to practise being calm each day.
• Sleep. Good quality sleep reduces stress while boosting energy, memory, and learning. Make sure you have enough shut-eye before starting the day.
• Disconnect. Social media can be inundating. Use technology responsibly so it does not rule your life. Disconnect from time to time.

Connect to communicate

Finally, make sure to have a caring support network. Show and receive care from your circle family and friends. Constantly touch base. This can foster a sense of hope, purpose, and meaning. Connecting to communicate is a lifeline that we should never let go of.

Equipping your wellness toolbox

• Engage with your community. Be part of an even bigger group dedicated to a cause. Consider being active in civic groups, faith-based organizations, or other local causes.
• Reach out. You are not alone. Recognise the need to gain support from services in the community.

Life is full of unexpected twists and turns so the ability to adjust and adapt is essential to survival. Resilience is key to surpass whatever situation we find ourselves in.

If the load gets too heavy, do not hesitate to reach out. For emotional or psychological support, contact the Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH) at 1800-283-7019. You can also reach out to the National Care Hotline at 1800-202-6868.

We are a community that cares. Join us now at www.thepeoplesinc.org.