Resilience. You probably hear this word on the regular now-a-days – scrolling social media, a conversation with a friend, a sign around your neighborhood…

Resilience elevates you as a leader… resilience is something you need to cultivate … resilience can help you flourish…

But how can you build resilience when you don’t have a moment to breath and how can you further use it to strengthen yourself?

According to the American Psychological Association, Resilience is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands. Simply put, Resilience is the ability to bounce forward from stressors and setbacks.

With technology, regulations, insurance, and patient needs changing at lightning speed, the ability to develop and nurture your resilience is crucial to set yourself up for success, as well as those you may lead. Developing resilience can help you mitigate the mental and physical effects of stress. It has been tied to increased happiness, an elevation in self-confidence, and an overall positive impact on our ability to thrive, not just survive. Resilient leaders are better equipped to guide their teams – building team environments that encourage flexibility and a solution-focused mindset, they’re more confident in navigating new challenges, and are more likely to keep a clear mind under stressful circumstances. These leaders are more likely to focus on the future and anticipate trends and setbacks, allowing them to remain competitive.

To begin elevating your resilience, you want to focus on 4 key areas:

• Connections
• Introspection
• Positivity
• Seeking Help

Connections:

Stress and trauma lead many people inwards to isolate themselves. Well-developed connections can counter this and help us become more resilient in the face of major life or professional challenges. This may look like a monthly lunch with friends, a club to support a hobby, or volunteering with a local organization. These activities build resilience while giving us a sense of purpose.

A sample network may include individuals you go to when you need:

• Support with work surges
• To make sense of discussions or situations you encountered
• Guidance on self-advocating or planning a path forward
• Empathy and a space to release negative emotions

The same individual may be your connection for more than one of these areas, or they may all be separated with different go-to people for you.

Introspection:

Working towards being your most effective and authentic self allows you to be more resilient. When we experience high-stress, our first sacrifice is usually self-care from our routines. Ironically, self-care is a key factor that helps us manage stress effectively. By removing it from our routine, we fall into a cycle of creating more stress with no release outlet.

To avoid this cycle, you must build in moments to focus on your physical, mental, and emotional self. Right before you fall asleep at night, while you take a shower, on the train – can you check in with yourself. Ask yourself:

• Did I eat and sleep well today / this week?
• Was I able to get some form of exercise or movement in?
• Did I have a goal for this day / week and did I accomplish it?
• Have I had uplifting interactions?
• Am I comfortable with my current emotional feelings?
• Did I incorporate mindfulness into my day/ week (i.e. journaling, meditation, etc.)?

Building resilience takes practice, and practice starts with one action at a time.

Positivity:

There have been numerous studies showing the connection between gratitude and wellness. Celebrating what you’re grateful for shifts your mind to positivity. This refocus creates small mood shifts know as glimmers; and glimmers can help us increase resilience.

A glimmer is a micro-moment that brings us happiness as we focus on the moment, such as hugging a pet or child, or having a hot sip of coffee – these quick moments, when we pause to savor and be in the moment, can shift our mood.

Seeking Help:

Reaching out for help when you need it is crucial to your resilience. Embracing the idea that even those who help others can ask for help themselves. In addition to focusing on our connections, delving into introspection, and building glimmers into our days, you may benefit further from external support. If so, the APA has a list of licensed psychologist in your area (https://locator.apa.org/.)

Resilience is not a nice to have, but a necessity in our ever-changing world. It sets you up with the ability to take on challenges throughout your day and lead others to success in a clear, confident manner.