Wellness Tips: Embrace Resilience

Live Healthy Iowa offers 5 tips to strengthen your well-being.

By Ann Thelen

If 2020 had a one-word description, it might have been unprecedented or pivot. It was difficult for many to avoid the feelings of anxiety and uncertainty having an impact on overall well-being.

Although the new year looks a bit different from normal times, it is still an opportunity to clear the slate, set goals and embrace new habits.

A fresh start can be motivating and energizing or overwhelming and exhausting. In 2021, take a positive approach by embracing a oneword philosophy for personal and professional situations – resilience.

When you have resilience, you harness an inner strength to adapt to difficult situations. Resilience can help you see past the challenging times, manage stress, find enjoyment in life and express gratitude.

Live Healthy Iowa shares five tips to strengthen your resiliency.

1. Stay Connected. Maintaining social connections with family, friends and co-workers is vital. Stay engaged through phone calls, participate in virtual activities or volunteer at socially distanced events. Build a network of people you can confide in and trust.

2. Take Care of Yourself. Be mindful of your own needs and feelings. Eat a healthy diet, choosing nutrient-rich foods. Exercise daily and get enough sleep. Practice stress management and relaxation techniques, such as yoga, meditation or prayer.

3. Believe in Your Abilities. Having confidence to cope with stress can play an essential role in resilience. Believing in your ability to respond to a crisis or challenge is empowering.

4. Embrace Change. Flexibility is essential. When you’re more adaptable, you’ll be better equipped to respond to difficult situations. Resilient people use these events as an opportunity to branch out in new directions. While some people may feel paralyzed by abrupt changes, highly resilient individuals adapt and thrive.

5. Become a Problem-Solver. Research suggests that people who come up with potential solutions to a problem can better handle the situation. When you encounter a new challenge, make a list of some of the ways the problem could be lessened or solved.