Sample Content Preview
Introduction
The path to healing is oftentimes an arduous one, but the hardships that you go through while growing as a person are necessary “bumps in the road,” so to speak. These hardships ultimately shape who you are and may even provide you with the ability to build up your strength and resilience in the face of adversity and especially harrowing challenges — as long as you’re able to adopt the right mindset and use the curveballs that life throws at you as opportunities to learn and grow.
You may have already heard a great deal about resilience and how to cultivate and build your resilience by doing this, this, and that. Here’s what most people don’t realize, though: resilience already exists within you; it’s simply a matter of tapping into it.
Tapping into your resilience isn’t necessarily a step-by-step process, but there are strategies you can use to more effectively build your resilience, embrace change, and bounce back from setbacks.
It’s no secret that it’s hard to be a human being. There’s no sense, really, in sugar-coating the reality that many people deal with — and manage to thrive through — despite the adversity they’re often forced to face on a daily basis. How do so many people manage to cope with the cards life has dealt them, you may ask? Well, it’s usually because they’ve developed a foundation of strength and resilience.
Many people tap into their resilience because they’re backed into a corner (i.e. because they have to). It’s a little sad, actually, that resilience has become so necessary. Unfortunately, our society is steeped in late-stage capitalism, so most people are left with little to no choice in the matter. You sort of have to be resilient — both in body and mind — in order to survive and thrive in this world.
If you’ve been struggling lately, and are interested in learning how to build your resilience, you’ve come to the right place. This book will be your ultimate guide when it comes to understanding what resilience really means, building a foundation for resilience, strengthening your body, fortifying your mind, recovering from setbacks, and more. You’ll be learning about holistic approaches to healing, embracing self-compassion, and — this may surprise some people — the positive side of stress (yes, stress does have a silver lining). Furthermore, you’ll get a chance to self-reflect on your resilience and think about the lifestyle changes you need to make in order to truly commit and make resilience your new way of life.
There’s quite a lot to go over here (resilience is more complicated than you might think!), so let’s dive right in, shall we? To start off, we’ll be discussing the significance of resilience for the human body, the interplay that exists between physical and mental resilience, and the fascinating science behind resilience. Once you’ve gained a better understanding of what resilience really means, you’ll be able to start building your foundation.
Chapter 1: Understanding Resilience
Consider a mighty oak tree, standing tall — never bending or breaking despite the rain, snow, and wind storms it often has to endure. That’s basically resilience in action! You might be wondering if resilience is really important. Is it actually necessary to be resilient? Why can’t you just sort of… waltz your way through life and “get through” challenges as they come up? Obviously, no one is saying you can’t attempt to do this, but the problem is, it’s ultimately not a sustainable way of living. When you’re in your early twenties, you might feel like you’re invincible — but this feeling, unfortunately, won’t last forever. Eventually, you’ll need to start thinking about how you’re going to tap into your resiliency and strengthen your mind and body for the sake of both surviving and thriving.
Defining Resilience and Its Significance for the Human Body What is resilience, exactly? In a nutshell, resilience is an ability that exists deep within you (and everyone, for that matter). This ability allows you to adapt and thrive, even when faced with life’s most difficult challenges. In a way, it’s kind of a superpower. It’s not necessarily easy to tap into, but once you learn how to harness your resilience, you should be able to bounce back from setbacks and overcome challenges without running into too many issues.
In other words, resiliency gives you the ability to learn and grow from challenges rather than wallow in misery and despair (and ultimately dig yourself into a deeper hole). It’s not just a mindset — it’s a way of life!
In essence, resilience is a matter of successfully navigating through difficult experiences — both internally and externally.
Once you learn how to tap into your resilience, you should be able to use it in all areas of your life. It’s basically about being flexible in your emotions, thoughts, and actions, and more effectively coping with whatever challenges life throws your way.
Of course, tapping into one’s resilience (and building on it, for that matter) is not something that comes naturally to most people. It’s going to take a whole lot of time and work, and you’re likely to run into some setbacks along the way. That’s just a part of life, you know?
Being resilient doesn’t mean you’ll never deal with stress or experience emotions like sadness, grief, anger, and frustration. It’s not about not feeling these emotions. In fact, being resilient is about embracing these difficult emotions and knowing that you have the capacity to rise above them and persevere. To be resilient is essentially to be able to tell yourself that “this too shall pass” and believe it with your whole heart. In a way, it’s stoicism, but even more than that, it’s strength. It’s what’s going to help you heal, both in mind and body — as long as you’re willing to take the process of finding and building your resilience seriously.
The Interplay of Physical and Mental Resilience This isn’t something most people spend a lot of time thinking about, but the mind and body are incredibly interconnected. If you’re suffering from an illness or physical injury, your mind will suffer, too — and vice versa. Have you ever felt crummy or cranky after not getting enough sleep or not eating enough? That’s because the things you do to nourish your body play a huge role in nourishing your mind as well.
You need both physical and mental resilience in order to function and thrive, especially over time. You may feel like you’re invincible now, but as you age, your body will begin to have a more difficult time bouncing back on its own. It can still bounce back, of course — you just have to take good care of it. Similarly, you may need to start paying more attention to your mental health and practicing self-care as you reach your late twenties and early thirties. Actually, the earlier you start taking proper care of your mental and physical health, the better your resilience will be in the long run. It’s all about building a strong foundation, and knowing that you have the power and strength to overcome anything.