How to build resilience in a crisis

We’re going into battle.

We’re in the middle of a crisis.

The world is in disarray.

How do you respond to everything that’s going on in the news right now?

We could all run round like headless chickens.

We could all sit and fret and worry about what might happen.

Quite honestly, it feels like the calm before the storm, and that any minute now all hell will break loose.

Everything cancelled?

My running club meet-ups have been cancelled. Choir rehearsals have been cancelled. The London Marathon is cancelled (though to be honest, feeling relieved that I can stop training). My daughter’s public speaking competition – cancelled. The school trip to the theatre is – cancelled. The local breastfeeding drop-ins are closing next week.

Now more than ever we need to practice self-care and kindness (to ourselves and to others) and build our resilience.

There ARE other ways to look after our wellbeing and mental health.

How does resilience help in a crisis

Resilience gives you the inner strength to better cope with pressure, stress and overwhelm.

Resilience allows you to better adapt to tough challenging situations.

Resilience is not just about bouncing back after a crisis.

It’s about being able to respond to and cope IN the crisis so that it has less impact on your mental and emotional well-being.

So how do you build resilience, even in a crisis

Here are a few ideas on how you can develop your own resilience:

good quality sleep on a regular basis (and yes I know that’s hard or even impossible when you have very young children)
regular physical activity (it doesn’t need to be extreme sports – a brisk 20 minute walk outside every day will do wonders)
use relaxation techniques such as meditation or mindfulness or whatever helps you to relax e.g. a long soak in the bath, painting …
be comfortable saying no to things you don’t want to do
whether you are at work or at home, focus on being fully present
spend time with friends or family
do something just for fun (watch a comedy, read a funny book)
get clear on and protect your boundaries
accept that others have different viewpoints and opinions to you – that doesn’t make you wrong
if you’re working from home, switch off your laptop at the end of the day
reframe any negative thoughts into positive ones (that can be tough I know but practice makes perfect)
avoid catastrophising … instead find something positive to think about
watch less news or only watch once or twice a day