As the radiance of the summer comes to an end, and the baby steps of autumn gradually patter into our lives, it is a good time to reflect on weathering life in the midst of change.
We all have an innate instinct to improve our lives, usually in small meaningful ways. However, sometimes we struggle and try everything to see if it sticks, only for our efforts to come up fruitless. Most of the time it leaves us annoyed, but sometimes it results in despair.
But the good news is, we humans also have the inherent ability to be resilient and rise above the challenges that act as roadblocks in our constant pursuit of our best selves. Remember that the concept of resilience is not about being a ‘weak’ or a ‘strong’ person, but rather the willingness to make changes in the face of adversity.
Here are three ways to ensure that we are able to maintain our resilience even in the most difficult of situations.
Make small steps to change the environment to improve personal well-being.
Even if a particular plant is expected to be resilient in the most adverse of weather, if the weather is too severe and the plant is placed too long without care, it will still wither and die. The same goes for people––no matter how resilient we are, when we continuously stay in a toxic environment or situation, our mental health slowly deteriorates, which then reduces our capacity to enact positive change in our lives.
So making small changes to your surroundings such as making your rooms brighter, more colourful, or even just playing pleasant music in the background can go a long way to helping improve your emotional resilience and tackle the challenges of the day.
Have self-compassion and be kind to yourself when you fall short of your goals.
Be kind to yourself when you make mistakes, we are human after all. We often focus on telling ourselves what we did wrong, but forget that it is also important to celebrate our small successes as well.
Write yourself a compassionate letter, or keep a gratitude journal to remind yourself of what you’ve done well each day. Make it a point to celebrate your achievements daily, that will then help us rewire our nervous system to be more comfortable with positivity in our lives.
Do not abandon yourself even in the worst of times.
Always remember that you are enough. You matter. And it is important to take care of yourself.
Nurturing self-awareness, self-esteem and boundaries, strengthening assertiveness, and believing in your own judgement will help you stay grounded in the toughest of times. You don’t have to sacrifice your own well-being just for the benefit of others. No matter how kind we want to be, we cannot pour from an empty cup.
Wesley Lim
Learning Support Teacher