Resilience means bouncing back – being able to rise above despite going through complex challenges that arise in our midst. Resilience is a testament to how well people can adapt to life changes and engage with the world around us despite the difficulties and surmount – to rise above tribulations we may face.

Is it True that Suffering Builds Resilience?

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Resilience is truly tested during difficult times, and a simple yet relatable example of resilience was heavily seen during the pandemic. Stories like those of Theresa Y. Wee M.D. highlight how difficult it was during that time but show readers a way to continue pushing through and persevering despite what provocations are thrown against her. Indeed, the pandemic was a test of our resilience and our ability to adapt and bounce back from all the restrictions and fear that plagued us at this time.

How Do We Rise Above Tribulations?

It is easy to say that we can bounce back and cooperate with others, but it becomes difficult to translate this to real life. It is difficult to do things differently from what we are used to, and exposure to new scenarios can be very challenging and stressful.

Recognize our emotions.

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The first step to making a change is always understanding yourself better and knowing your current state. Recognizing what you genuinely feel will help put things into perspective, which is a great starting point. This understanding serves as the basis for where you currently are and, later, gives you direction for what you want to change or move toward.

Reframe, reshift, refocus.

Knowing and understanding will never indeed be enough, as they do not have enough impact when you are trying to prevail against trying times. However, it is difficult to make a change in yourself right away and take action if your perspective on something remains closed-minded and you continue looking at it from your point of view alone.

Learning to approach it with a more positive mindset and a greater depth and understanding of the benefits and lessons you can understand would help motivate you as you rise above tribulations. Aside from that, always remember that suffering builds resilience. Know that in every experience, there is always and will always be something you can learn from. One way to maintain this positive mindset is by cultivating gratitude. Recognizing what you have to be grateful for can truly shift your perspective and help you see the bigger picture, even in the face of adversity.

Take Care of Yourself.

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With the recent trends and the rise of social media, self-care is often associated with skin care, taking care of your hair and nails, exercising, being wary of nutritional guidelines, and other more outward appearances.

While this mindset is good because keeping yourself physically healthy is important, taking care of yourself mentally should also be paramount. Maintaining a positive attitude and demeanor is necessary for keeping yourself healthy. It can drastically change your outlook and give you the push and motivation to continue pursuing your goals even with hardship and troubles.

Set concrete goals.

Once you have recognized your current emotional point of view and reshifted negative ways of thinking, it is essential to set goals. Setting goals is a way to know where you are heading, like creating a step-by-step plan for what you truly want and how you can get there.

When setting goals, it is not enough to simply say something like, “I want to save money.” Though it seems like a good goal, it is not entirely concrete. Thus, it is difficult for you to make a feasible plan. In such instances, you may apply the SMART method commonly used by people in the medical community when creating goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound. Ensuring your goals fit these parameters will help your dreams appear more achievable and straightforward.

Say, for example you are struggling to make ends meet; it would be beneficial to make a specific goal of how much you want to spend and for how long. When setting a budget in mind, it is necessary to specify how much precisely you plan to pay for each utility in the house and how long that budget will last. Remember that goals have to be realistic and attainable. This means that even with “the lower, the better” budget in mind, real-world and accessible prices have to be taken into consideration. Creating goals like these will definitely help you rise above tribulations in an attainable way.

Learn from others.

Learning from the experiences of others will also help tremendously. Talking to others and garnering advice is a tremendous help and reminds you that you are never on a journey alone. No man is an island, and this concept continues even in hardships. Reading books and references like My Covid-19 Diary by Dr. Wee will definitely help you pick up feasible ways and tips when learning to rise above tribulations. Grab a copy of it here!