4 Things Resilient People Don’t Do
Our lives are filled with challenges that feel scary, overwhelming, and sometimes hopeless. On the other hand, our media constantly praise exceptional people who overcome great challenges.
One quality separates them from people who get stuck on the obstacles that life throws at them. Resilience.
Resilience is adapting to the challenges life throws at you. To increase your resilience, be on the lookout for these habits.
1. Isolating themselves
I noticed distinctly that my loved ones started socializing less after the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic. Our social habits have since changed. But staying reserved about meeting friends can affect your resilience.
Resilient people reach out to loved ones and share their experiences with people they respect and care about. This helps them maintain their mental stability.
2. Going through life aimlessly
Think about someone who lives each day with no plan, maybe he goes to school or work but he doesn’t have much to look forward to, he doesn’t have any hobbies except watching some shows and every day seems to blend with another. Could this lifestyle lead to a resilient person? Probably not.
But if this person started to aim for something, such as getting in shape or going to a workshop he’s been hesitant to go to for a while, then he might seem to notice changes in his perspective on life and his life might become more and more serendipitous.
This isn’t only a feel-good message either. Research suggests people with goals have higher life satisfaction and purpose in life predicts your resilience.
Aim at something, doesn’t matter how small or huge it seems to be.
3. Brushing off meditation
All of us are faced with challenges in our lives, resilient people differ in how they view and adapt to these life challenges. Viewing life events without judgment helps resilient people assess their situation and come on top.
Mindfulness Meditation can help you stay in the present moment and go through your day with a non-judgmental awareness. Research on mindfulness meditation has seen a huge spike lately. Many positive effects of mindfulness meditation on resilience and overall well-being have been found.
Now there are many great guides that teach mindfulness so I won’t get into that but give mindfulness meditation a chance, it might support you in turbulent times.
4. Always being self-critical
You face hundreds of challenges in your life, and you can overcome some of them but sometimes there is nothing you can do about it. In those situations, avoiding being critical of ourselves is key to staying resilient.
Life is already full of challenges and there is no need to add one more by excessively criticizing ourselves for every single mistake.
Walt Disney was swindled by his distributor before coming up with the Mickey Mouse. JK Rowling was rejected by 12 publishers while she was trying to get Harry Potter published. I’m sure these people wouldn’t be who they are if they had constantly criticized themselves.
Try self-compassion, if you are not used to it, imagine yourself comforting a friend who is going through a tough time, and then show yourself the same compassion you would show to that friend.
If you’d like to read a more detailed guide, you can check my other story here:
