With Resilience Sailing Through Tough Times

Three Tips To Strengthen Your Resilience

When I observed the people around me and myself a few months ago, I saw that most people had settled well in their lives. Everything had its time and was organized: Work, children in kindergarten or school, hobbies, vacations, living.

Of course, not everything went perfectly, but they had made provisions for small changes, and nothing could throw them off track so quickly.

Then the Corona crisis with governmental measures has come. Everything has got mixed up: The children are at home, the adults at best in the home office, but in many cases on short-time work or banned from working as self-employed in specific industries. There are many new rules, such as bans on staying in some city centers, nighttime curfews in some communities, obligation to wear face masks in supermarkets. Hotels and vacation apartments are closed for tourists; vacations are out of the question. Many people despair and cannot find their way around.

In these times, the ability to be resilient is essential. Resilience is the ability to deal with a crisis and is derived from the Latin word “resilience”.

“Everything is going to be fine in the end. If it’s not fine, it’s not the end.” (Oscar Wilde)

The seven pillars of resilience

Psychologists distinguish seven pillars of resilience. These pillars represent sub-areas of human strength. The more you train and develop each area, the better you can deal with crises. The seven resilience factors were formulated by Reivich and Shatté in 2003 and confirmed by a meta-analysis by Lisa Lyssenko and Juergen Bengel in 2012.

Pillar 1: Optimism Even in a crisis, always assume that things will get better again. It helps to focus on the positive things that exist every day. It would be best if you continued to make plans and work towards a better future.

Pillar 2: Acceptance The first step is to accept the current situation as it is. If you accept your destiny, you can solve the problems of the future. Rejection, despair, and anger that come with rejection reduce our energy.

Pillar 3: Solution orientation After a short pause and accepting the situation, it is essential to work out concrete solution concepts. It doesn’t help to get stuck in the problem’s mindset and brood about why it could have happened to you. Look at the situation as a challenge and ask yourself: “Where do I want to go and what concrete actions are necessary to get there?”

Pillar 4: Leaving the victim role Seeing yourself as a victim makes you feel powerless and alone. Feeling sorry for yourself is self-harm and hinders the way forward.

Pillar 5: Taking responsibility Only when you manage to give up the victim’s role (pillar 4), can you realize that the responsibility lies with you. The goal is to evaluate what contribution you have made to the current crisis.

Pillar 6: Build a network Getting along with others and making closer connections can boost self-esteem and help you calmly cope with crises.

Pillar 7: Plan for the future Anticipating crises helps overcome sudden problems. Even when a crisis seems far away, you should already be thinking about the risks and how to prepare for them.

Three tips for more resilience

If you are currently in a crisis, pillars 1–6 can already help you a bit. But maybe they seem too abstract for you, and you would like to have something concrete to start with.

Daily structure In a crisis, your daily routine is often thrown into disarray. For example, if you can no longer do your job, you may tend not to get up until around noon, and you may not know what to do with yourself. Make a daily schedule for yourself. Include everything from getting up, to breakfast, to the work you want to do, to going to the bowl, and stick to it.

Focus on what is essential for you Think about what is important to you. Maybe hobbies, learning, time with friends or family. Perhaps values you want to live out. Make a list of what is important to you. Think about which activities would make a positive contribution. Schedule them into your daily routine accordingly.

Sports Sports have many positive effects. Even if it is difficult to get up initially, you will feel much better after a completed sports session. Plan a daily sports session into your daily routine. Choose a sport that you can do despite the crisis. For example, if the gyms are closed, you can do jogging or yoga at home instead.

If you implement the three tips, you will strengthen the pillars of resilience, and you will be able to get through the crisis better.