How to Build Resilience

Every time I hear or read about Thomas Edison’s story of how long he tried and failed while trying to invent the light bulb, I can only marvel at how resilient he must have been. There are a lot of interesting lessons to learn from his revolutionary project but for this article, we will focus on the attribute that stands out most: how to build resilience.

Resilience can be described as the ability to get back on one’s feet after a difficult situation. It can also be viewed as the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or life-changing circumstances.

Building resilience and being resilient is a quality that can apply to anyone. It’s a skill that everyone—including you and me—needs to have in order to succeed. When infants take their first wobbly steps, that is one of the first times they exhibit resilience. They always rise, no matter how many times they are knocked down.

You must be aware that developing a set of abilities necessary for resilience is a process that you can work on over time. You can eventually build resilience with time and effort. Resilience can be improved by mental adjustments, training, wholesome routines, and relationships. Here are some of the methods that can help you build your resilience amongst others:

Be proactive

Being proactive means, you’re facing your problems head-on. Letting your problems fester in the corner and grow larger every day only makes the problem harder to solve. Always focus on taking action to solve problems immediately instead of delving into negative thoughts.

Guard your downtime!

Resilient people make sure they are well-rested and they have enough energy to confront their problems. Though it might seem quite easy to protect your free time, it is equally easy for you to get carried away with worries about the challenges ahead. So, make sure that doesn’t happen. Use your downtime to take a nap, meditate, or do some self-reflection.

Have the right mindset about adversity

One of our greatest enemies when it comes to being resilient is fear. Fear, often described as the “false evidence appearing real,” is quite right. Many people give up on their first trial after being presented with a lot of false evidence. If Edison had succumbed to fear, he would have easily given up and lost the chance to be one of the greatest inventors. So, face your fears and build resilience by having the right mindset around adversity.

Build the right relationship!

I can only imagine how it could have been for whoever was working with Edison. Stressed from multiple failures, the idea to quit must have popped up in the person’s head. But perhaps, the person remained silent about the losses and kept throwing in encouraging words. Keeping close friends and having families you trust is key to being resilient. It’s always good to have a shoulder to lean on.

Focus on what you can change

One of the best things you can do to build resilience is to focus on what you can change. Others may complain about the society they are in and even blame the weather for the reason they’ve decided to give up, but resilient people embrace what they can’t change and focus on what they can change.

Someone said, “For every failure, you’ve only figured out how not to do it, and that’s a great improvement.” So, guard your mind and be ready to face any adversary.

By implementing these strategies, you can bolster your resilience, just as Thomas Edison did on his path to becoming one of the greatest inventors in history.