How To Be Resilient To Stress

You Probably Need More Friendsheres How To Make Them

How To Be Resilient & Overcome Stress from Therapist Todd Creager

2. Listen to your heart

Lets talk about love! Its indeed another secret weapon against stress. Your relationships define you and its not only the romantic ones that count, the same goes for your friendships and family.

A very wise man named Judah Smith once said tell me who your friends are and I tell you how your future will look like. Most probably your future could also be replaced by stress-resilience. If you dont have people to count on, who love you for who you are and are there for you, youll have more difficulties when you go through stress. Of course, the same goes for you and how you show up for your loved ones.

The stress hormone cortisol can actually decrease when you hug someone. There are several studies that confirm this, and hopefully youve experienced it yourself already as well. If not, give it a try. And if no loved one is around when your stress level increases, call a loved one, think of a loved one or have a picture of them on your desk.

3. Connect with your body

It doesnt come as a surprise and as mentioned above: Mens sana in corpore sano. In 5 tips to boost your mental fitness, food and body movement is explained more in detail as it doesnt only help us to build our stress-resilience, but it also keeps us mentally fit .

As a consequence, you will feel better, your endorphin levels will go up and your mind will be clearer.

Books To Read On Resilience At Work

Would you like to read more on the topic of resilience at work? There are some excellent books available! Here are a few:

Career resilience in a changing workplace. Betsy Collard. 1996
Building resilience at work. Kathryn McEwen. 2011
Resilience at work: how to succeed no matter what life throws at you. Salvatore Maddi & Deborah Khoshaba. 2005
Building resilience for success: a resource for managers and organizations. C. Cooper, J Flint-Taylor, M Pearn. 2013
The mindful workplace: developing resilient individuals and resonant organizations with MBSP. Michael Chaskalson. 2011
Fearless at work: timeless teachings for awakening confidence, resilience, and creativity in the face of lifes demands. Michael Carroll. 2012
The authority guide to emotional resilience in business: strategies to manage stress and weather storms in the workplace. Robin Hills. 2016
Happiness at work: be resilient, motivated and successful no matter what. Srikumar S. Rao. 2010
The resilient employee: the essential guide to coping with change and thriving in todays workplace. Rosalind Cardinal. 2016
Resilience at work: practical tools for career success. Kathryn Jackson. 2018

Still keen to learn more?! These are a few relevant YouTube videos. Enjoy!

Supporting Your Endocannabinoid System

Its not for nothing that your bodymakes its own endocannabinoids, endogenous chemicals that studies have shown play animportant role in stress resilience and helping you adapt to daily stress. Sometimes, especially during times of increased stress or tension, your body can benefit from extra support, which is where CBD products can lend a helping hand. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a non-psychoactive extract from the hemp plant that is thought to support the body’s endocannabinoid system, which helps regulate your body’s reaction to stressful moments.

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Research And Statistics On Resilience

Research into what promotes resiliency supports the idea that certain protective resources, rather than the absence of risk factors, play a significant role in a persons capacity to confront and work through stressors. Things like social support, adaptive coping skills, and the ability to tap into ones inner strengths can help develop and strengthen resiliency in an individual.

When it comes to the idea of natural resilience, or a persons innate ability to recover from adversity, the research is mixed.

Developmental Factors In Resilience

Developmental environment is another crucial contributor to resilience . Severe adverse events in childhood can negatively affect the development of stress response systems, in some cases causing long-lasting damage. Numerous rodent and primate studies suggest that animals abused by their mothers in the first few weeks of life show both delayed independence and decreased stress management skills in adulthood . These changes are reflected in abnormally high anxiety levels, increased HPA axis activity, and increased basal CRH levels in the cerebrospinal fluid . It is important to note that non-human primates, who have suffered childhood abuse, resulting in damaged stress response systems, may be more likely to abuse their own children . In this way, the cycle of abuse is continued through generations.

Resilience In The Workplace: How To Be More Resilient At Work

Have you ever found yourself wondering what makes someone successful at work?

Chances are, like many people you imagine that the key to success at work is intelligence or going above and beyond the demands of the role such as working extra long hours or taking on extra commitments.

However, in modern workplaces characterized by staff cutbacks, deadlines, rivalry and organizational change, success relies on an individuals capacity to cope and even thrive when faced with stress.

Broadly speaking, resilience is the ability to bounce back when encountering the challenges that are an inevitable part of life. The workplace presents a different range of stressors to employees. What is resilience in the workplace? Why is it even important? Can individuals even become more resilient anyway?

The exciting thing about resilience is that it is a skill. Like any skill, with practice, resilience can be learned. This article describes resilience in the workplace and provides helpful tips about how people can be more resilient at work. It will define exactly what is meant by resilience in the workplace, describe some examples of developing personal resilience at work and then explore ways to enhance resilience.

Before you read on, we thought you might like to . These engaging, science-based exercises will help you to effectively deal with difficult circumstances and give you the tools to improve the resilience of your clients, students or employees.

You can download the free PDF here.

The Importance Of Resilience

Resilience is our ability to adapt and bounce back when things don’t go as planned. Resilient people don’t wallow or dwell on failures they acknowledge the situation, learn from their mistakes, and then move forward.

According to the research of leading psychologist, Susan Kobasa, there are three elements that are essential to resilience:

Challenge Resilient people view a difficulty as a challenge, not as a paralyzing event. They look at their failures and mistakes as lessons to be learned from, and as opportunities for growth. They don’t view them as a negative reflection on their abilities or self-worth.

Commitment Resilient people are committed to their lives and their goals, and they have a compelling reason to get out of bed in the morning. Commitment isn’t just restricted to their work they commit to their relationships, their friendships, the causes they care about, and their religious or spiritual beliefs.

Personal Control Resilient people spend their time and energy focusing on situations and events that they have control over. Because they put their efforts where they can have the most impact, they feel empowered and confident. Those who spend time worrying about uncontrollable events can often feel lost, helpless, and powerless to take action.

Another leading psychologist, , says the way that we explain setbacks to ourselves is also important. This “explanatory style” is made up of three main elements:

Also Check: What Are The Symptoms Of Severe Stress

Tips To Teach Kids/students To Be Resilient

Everyone has the ability to be resilient some kids are naturally more resilient than others based on two factors their genetic make-up and their environment. Two individuals with the same exact genetic makeup may have two entirely different expressions of their genes, purely because of environmental factors. For example, in studies of identical twins adopted into different homes, researchers found many similarities , but also many differences, suggesting that environmental factors can turn on certain genes. Genes that make us susceptible to conditions like depression, cancer, and bipolar would turn on in one twin and not in the other, due to differing circumstances such as level of parental nurturing, the physical environment, school experiences, individual and family stress.

Here are 7 tipsfor boosting emotional resilience in your child/student :

Self-care:Many of us have moved have away from embracing self-care for ourselves, and our kids/studentsyet if our buckets are empty we are pretty much worthless. Taking care of yourself is making a come backand its critical to teach kids not to over book themselves play everyday, laugh everyday, take time to be quiet at least once a day , and be mindful of listening to others.

Socialization:Children learn through face-to-face interactions with other children . Give them opportunities after school and on the weekends to just be with others so they can learn about themselves and others.

Good luck and take care,

How Common Is Stress

How to be RESILIENT during a PANDEMIC | Resilience Tips for Mental Health, Stress & Anxiety

Stress is very common and bad stress makes up most of it.

Different surveys get different results but most put chronic stress at over 50% of the working population.

According to a 2020 workplace stress survey, 79% of employed British adults saying they experience commonly experience work-related stress.

However, reading down only 10% of the respondents said that stress was positive. It either made them more productive or more engaged. On that basis, 69% of respondents didnt feel that the stress they were suffering was positive.

The media isnt exaggerating when they say there is an epidemic of stress.

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What Is Resilience Theory

People face all kinds of adversity in life. There are personal crises, such as illness, loss of a loved one, abuse, bullying, job loss, and financial instability. There is the shared reality of tragic events in the news, such as terrorist attacks, mass shootings, natural disasters, and of course the COVID-19 pandemic. People have to learn to cope with and work through very challenging life experiences.

Resilience theory refers to the ideas surrounding how people are affected by and adapt to things like adversity, change, loss, and risk.

Being resilient does not mean that people dont experience stress, emotional upheaval, and suffering. Some people equate resilience with mental toughness, but demonstrating resilience includes working through emotional pain and suffering.

Resilience isnt a fixed trait. Flexibility, adaptability, and perseverance can help people tap into their resilience by changing certain thoughts and behaviors. Research shows that students who believe that both intellectual abilities and social attributes can be developed show a lower stress response to adversity and improved performance.

Dr. Sood, who is a member of the Everyday Health Wellness Advisory Board, believes that resilience can be defined in terms of five principles:

Gratitude
Forgiveness

How Apollo Neuro Works With Your Stress

With the Apollo Neuro device, it doesn’t require you to actively do anything like breathwork, rubbing the ears, putting pressure on the chest, or soothing touch to activate the vagus nerve. All of those activities work but if you’ve never been trained to use those techniques under stress or at all, then they are incredibly challenging to master and especially if you’ve never practiced them sometimes they can take hundreds or thousands of hours for people to master them well enough to use under stress. We’ve designed Apollo Neuro for people like myself who never learned breathwork, how to meditate, or any of these self-soothing techniques as a kid. Apollo Neuro can show you what it’s like to activate your body’s natural calming system and once you feel it, it’s easier to learn how to do it on your own. Dr. David Rabin

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Letting Go Part : Physical

There are two parts to letting go, and the first is letting go in a physical or bodily sense. In the first place that can mean letting go of muscles and tension, but I mean it more broadly than that calming the body, reducing restlessness and agitation and physiological arousal.

In terms of the Human Performance Curve model of stress that I introduced in an earlier article, I’m talking about the faculty of moving to the left just what you need if you’re caught in the quicksand trap when you’re to the right of the peak and heading down the slope.

Strategies To Grow Stronger Through Stress

Lets be real, our modern-day lives are full of stressors. No matter how low or how high your stress levels are, you can always improve your stress resilience.

Lowering your stress levels and improving your stress resilience is particularly important if you are experiencing high or chronic stress. Follow my 12 strategies to grow stronger through stress.

Also Check: How To Handle Stress Better

Maintain Your Sense Of Humor

If youre able to laugh at lifes frustrations, you can have increased immunity, if you will, to stress and adversity. Those with a sense of humor about life tend to experience life as less stressful, are able to bond with others during difficult times, and experience the numerous benefits of laughter.

If you can take a step back from difficult situations long enough to maintain your sense of humor, you will be more resilient, too.

Find A Sense Of Purpose

After her 13-year-old daughter was killed by a drunk driver, Candace Lightner founded Mother’s Against Drunk Driving . Lightner focussed her energy on creating awareness of the dangers of drunk driving. “I promised myself on the day of Cari’s death that I would fight to make this needless homicide count for something positive in the years ahead,” she later explained.

In the face of crisis or tragedy, finding a sense of purpose can play an important role in your recovery. This might mean becoming involved in your community, cultivating your spirituality, or participating in activities that are meaningful to you.

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Develop An Internal Locus Of Control

Resilient people believe that theyre in control of their lives, and its true: while we cant control our circumstances, we can control how we respond to those circumstances, and that makes a big difference in our attitudes and in the course our lives take. Fortunately, you can develop an internal locus of control.

The Top Movies Documentaries And Tv Shows On Resilience

HOW TO BE MORE RESILIENT – Being Resilient to Stress in Tough Times | Rick Hanson

Atypical

Sterling K. Brown The actor, whose uncle died from pancreatic cancer, set out to normalize the experience of cancer survivorship. Learn more about how he is putting a spotlight on life after cancer.
Jennifer Hudson The singers mother, brother, and nephew were murdered by her sisters estranged ex-husband. In the wake of the tragedy, Hudson worked through her pain by creating the . Named after her late nephew, the charity provides support and positive experiences to help children from all backgrounds grow into productive and happy adults.
Lionel Messi The soccer superstar was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency at age 11. The medical costs were too much for his parents, but the sporting director of FC Barcelona heard about his plight and arranged a tryout. Messi made the team and earned the money to cover his treatments.
Eminem In his youth, the hip-hop star witnessed domestic violence, was bullied, and endured a rocky relationship with his mother. He also had to overcome addiction troubles. But he was able to channel his resilience through his music.
Rita Wilson An actress, singer, songwriter, and breast-cancer survivor, Wilson and her husband, Tom Hanks, helped alert the world to the new threat of COVID-19 when they shared their diagnosis. The experience inspired Wilson to become a flu-shot advocate.

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Find Reasons To Laugh

According to a 2009 paper in the Canadian Family Physician, laughter and humor for their complementary and alternative medical benefits . It can help to reduce stress, lower pain levels, and aid healing. It uplifts your mood.

While laughter increases your heart rate, respiratory rate, respiratory depth, and oxygen consumption, it also allows your body to move back to homeostasis by allowing muscle relaxation, decreasing heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure after the episode of laughter. Laughter has no side effects or negative effects, only benefits.

These results are likely not surprising. We all feel better after a good laugh. Seek friends that you can laugh with. Laugh with your family. Learn from your kids, they find joy all day long and laugh all the time. Seek out funny movies or games that make you laugh. Seek humor even in difficult situations. Try laughter yoga and practice it regularly.

When To Get Professional Help

Certain feelings and behaviors signs indicating the need for prompt professional help. Important warning signs are:

Inability to sleep.
Feeling down, depressed, hopeless, or helpless most of the time.
Difficulty concentrating to the extent that it interferes with your studies, work, or home life.
Using smoking, overeating, drugs, or alcohol to cope with difficult emotions.
Negative or self-destructive thoughts or fears that you can’t control.
Thoughts of death or suicide.

If you feel that your resilience is crumbling, you should seek help without delay. And if you are unsure about what to do or where to seek help, you should contact the staff in Student Services, since they can connect you with appropriate professional help.

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Measuring Your Response To Stress With Hrv

Heart rate variability is a measure of the variation of time between each of your heartbeats. Variations between your heartbeats are normal and they are controlled by your ANS. As you go through your day, your ANS sends signals to the rest of your body.

It leads to the stimulation or relaxation of different functions. For example, if you get exciting news, your ANS will send signals to prompt excitement, engagement, and joy. If you experience a negative interaction at work, it may send a stress response that may cause fear, anger, or sadness. If you got a poor nights sleep the night before, it will prompt fatigue. All this affects your heart rate.

As youve learned, if you are experiencing chronic stress and chronic triggers, such as dysfunctional relationships, job stress, isolation or loneliness, lack of exercise, poor sleep, or an unhealthy diet, your body will go into overdrive and stuck in fight-or-flight mode. This, of course, also affects your HRV, but in a negative way leading to imbalances.