We have all been knocked down before. Sometimes it can be tough to get back up again. It can seem as though the stress, grief, or hopelessness is stronger than ourselves. That’s where resilience comes in to save the day!
What is Resilience?
Resilience isn’t only seeing the positive. It also means recognizing the negative experiences or trials that you are facing or have gone through. However, it’s when we recognize that we are capable of overcoming those hardships, that we practice resilience. For example,
If a child fell down on their bike, we shouldn’t tell them to pretend like it didn’t hurt. It’s painful to fall down! To build resilience, we should say things along the lines of:
“You were peddling great!”
“You had control of the bike for a while there!”
“You learned that we have to keep our balance when turning!”
When we start to view mistakes or trials as learning experiences, we start to become more resilient!
Building Resilience
Here are some simple things that we can do daily to practice having a resilient mindset:
- Find 3 times to smile at a stranger
- Write down 3 things that went well today
- Journal Positive Experiences
- Exercise / Meditation / Mindfulness
- Random acts of kindness
Moving Forward
When we start to become more resilient, we build some great characteristics. This can include; Good self-care habits, able to ask for help, confidence to solve problems, strong communication, and being a resource for others!
Resilience isn’t something that comes overnight, we have to work towards it. There may be times when we find it easier to practice it than others, and that’s okay! What’s important to realize is that when we are able to have compassion for ourselves and ask for help, we can overcome any trial that life throws our way.
If you need help building resilience and some support in your parenting journey, sign up to be a part of our Parents as Teachers home visitation program!