Overcoming Life’s Challenges With Resiliency

We all experience challenges in life, but how we choose to deal with them can determine how resilient we are as individuals. Think about the last time you had to overcome a difficult situation or challenge. Did you rise to the occasion, or did you allow feelings of defeat to take over?

No matter the situation, there are certain things we can do to improve how we respond to life’s challenges. This is called resiliency.

Resiliency is the ability to successfully adapt to life’s challenging situations and continue to function despite social disadvantages or other adverse conditions. It’s an ongoing process that requires time and effort. Although many people bounce back from difficult experiences, they may still likely experience intense emotions during these times.

Resiliency is a learned behaviour that we develop through experiences. These experiences may include:

Serious illnesses
Chronic or situational abuse
Traumatic incidents
Family and relationship problems
Workplace stressors
Financial hardships

We can use different strategies to overcome difficult situations. Rational thinking is one such strategy. Although we may experience intense feelings and impulses in a given situation, it’s important to learn how to effectively manage these emotions so they don’t cloud our judgement and decision making skills.

When learning to become more resilient, it’s important to focus on 4 qualities:

Be flexible
Learn from the past
Seek assistance
Continue to move forward

Next time you’re faced with a difficult situation, focus on what you can do to improve it by using effective strategies to produce favourable outcomes.

To learn more about how our counselling services can help you utilize strategies to overcome challenges, please contact your Account Manager. For more information on our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or Student Assistance Program (SAP), please contact us today.