How to Build Emotional Resilience
While surfing through Social media in the past few months of this COVID19 Pandemic I have been involved discussion about the growing impact of the pandemic on the Emotional Self. This global situation has affected many friends and family members. I also noticed a change in my ability to handle emotional swings, especially after my recent surgeries.
Is there a way to build emotional resilience?
I believe so,
I have noticed while in the grasp of strong negative emotions it may seem difficult to build any resilience to life’s less pleasurable experiences. It is possible though, and that’s a thought we all should bear in mind if we are experiencing excessive negative thoughts.
How come some people give up and cry into a bottle, while others just pick themselves up, dust themselves off and carry on as if nothing happened? They’re called coping skills, and anyone can develop them.
Flexibility and adaptation are undoubtedly two outlooks that help people recover from bad situations. Whereas someone who may feel entrenched in their negative feelings finds it harder to remove themselves from those feelings and change direction, those who are willing to see emotions as things that grip them tighter the more they focus on them and understand how to let go and change direction quickly, come out on top.
In a way, emotions are like quicksand or Chinese Finger Traps.
By seeing negative events in your life as flexible, short term situations, you can more easily move on. Let’s imagine someone who sees these negative events as a fixed point in space and time (pardon the sci-fi speak, but this does make sense). To them, that disappointment they felt with themselves or that failure they felt, is a fixed point in their life.
It’s always there. Nothing they can do will change the fact that there are failures and disappointments in their lives.
Those who view situations as being temporary will be more likely to see the same situation as a speed bump in Life’s rearview mirror.
So what can you do to help you adopt this outlook?
Ever poured paint into a bucket of water? That’s how negative people think. When one bad thing enters their life, it starts to spread and color everything else. They may well have been the life and soul of the party until that point, but now everything is just a mess! Be sure to close out negativity from the News, TV, and even “friends
Try seeing new challenges as crayons that can be laid side-by-side with each other. Don’t dwell on the fact that you didn’t manage to quit smoking today, but see that you smoked less and are not going to let a temporary setback prevent you from trying again the next day.
Just because you don’t get something done the first time doesn’t mean you won’t get it done at another point in the future. No one writes a book, paints a portrait, or drives a car the first time they try. But of course, it might get done more easily if you plan well and Write it Down ~~smile
Great Blog, Chuck. Patience in life is so important and it can be learned. Most stressful times just need patience and the realization that “This too will pass and how can I adjust to the situation at hand.”
Thank you for sharing.
God Bless You,
Nancy
Always appreciate your input, Nancy.
Understand your 4th book is NOW available on Amazon!
Congratulations!
Faith and Eternity by Nancy Lou Henderson