How Do You Stay Resilient During a Pandemic?

Strength is Resilience and resilience is our ability to deal with adversity, challenge, discomfort and fear. 

Is there a pill for that? Are you resilient? 

Resilient people understand that pain, misfortune, fear and uncertainty are only temporary states and that there is always a corner to turn and light coming through a crack. They are optimistic while still being realistic. They know that over analysis causes paralysis, so they plan, they act, they ponder and they maintain hope. 

Theme Song for the Day: Stronger by Kelly Clarkson. If you are humming an anthem, a theme song or just true inspiration, share it.

How do you stay resilient?

1. Find purpose and meaning in their current situation
2. Connect and Build their community of support
3. Focus on Gratitude for what they have now
4. Expect the unexpected, embrace Change. 

Why should you practice resilience?

• Reduce stress and burn-out
• Improve wellness and quality of life
• Reduce depression and anxiety
• Perform better at work and home

Ways to be resilient during a pandemic

Easier said than done? We need a new best seller, Resilience training during Pandemic….

Morning Resilience

Start your day with Mindfulness. Enjoy the shower, savour your meals, be aware of the weather and talk to your home buddies – great them with a smile and ask them how they are and listen to what they say. The ability to actually stay in the moment and engage will actually make you feel more in control of your day and less like your spinning in the eye of a hurricane. 

Mid-day Resilience

This is when the info is coming fast and furious; the PM has spoken, the tweets are twittering, the emails about “during this difficult time” are filling your inbox…try to Compartmentalize your Cognitive Load. According to the American Psychological Association, we can reduce the stressful feelings of uncertainty by 40% if just set a task, engage, complete it and then move to the next. During our homebound days, this might mean a new recipe, a fitness walk, a good book, an online course or cleaning out a closet. It does not mean trying to juggle multiple unplanned interruptions all day long. 

Evening Resilience

If our days run into our nights and our overload creeps into our sleep…we lose our resilience. We need a Time out. There is a reason for evening prayer! Separate your day from your evening even though you may not be commuting home or the info overload continues. This brings me back to Kelly and Stronger, perfect time for some music.  

Resource: https://cmha.ca/resilience

It’s Sunday, giving you a little sermon, take care my friends, we will get through this, China is now our glimmer of hope. 

Cover Photo by Matteo Di Iorio on Unsplash