Mastering Resilience

As mentioned previously we will kick off our discussion about resilience, the next topic in your journey of the Year of You. This issue will help you mentally transition to the new topic.

Remember that we started this journey developing self-awareness. Self-

awareness is essential to understanding one’s own strengths, weaknesses, and emotional states, which in turn assists you in navigating life’s challenges and your ability to cope with stressors or triggers that may arise. As you continue your journey of self-discovery, you will expand upon self-awareness and explore the various issues that can influence or support your interpersonal development: resilience, boundaries, and self-care.

According to the Oxford Languages Dictionary, resilience is defined as the

ability to recover quickly from difficulties. Some difficulties in our day-to-day

lives are pretty easy to recover from, such as spilling your coffee on the

counter right before you walk out the door for work, whereas others might

require a little more of your attention, like, if you discover you’re being audited by the IRS. We are not all equally equipped with the same ability to handle life’s various stressors, but with some self-awareness, mental exercises, and fortitude, we can turn resolve into stronger resilience.

To prepare for the upcoming resilience issue, consider the following:

1) How would you define resilience?

2) In what capacity have you recently experienced or seen resilience? (This can refer to you or someone close to you.)

3. What specific areas of your life could benefit from resilience development? (What triggers are you not so good at handling?)

4) Consider a time when you felt a disruption to your comfort zone, what was disrupted? How did it make you feel?

5) Now, think about a time when you were resilient in navigating a disruption. What were the circumstances, and how did you cope?

As we move into talking about developing your overall resilience, consider how your mind, body, and spirit are all interconnected, and remind yourself that in order to be healthy in all those aspects, you must practice conscious self-awareness. Which brings us to the next reflection activity.

Resilience Self-Assessment: Reflecting on Your Strengths

This activity will help you explore your current understanding and awareness of resilience. While you won’t be able to provide feedback or engage directly with us, we encourage you to complete this assessment independently.

Below are a series of statements or questions. Read each one carefully and

rate your response on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being “Strongly Disagree” and 5 being “Strongly Agree.” Take your time to reflect on each statement and assign the rating that best aligns with your beliefs or experiences. Be honest with yourself, and remember this assessment is for your own personal reflection.

When you have completed the assessment, take a moment to review your

ratings. Consider which areas you rated highly and where you might want to

focus on further developing your resilience. This self-assessment serves as a

vital step for your personal growth journey. Remember your responses for

when we meet again in the next blog for Resilience.