Building Mental Health Resilience

Mental health resilience refers to the ability to maintain or regain mental well-being in the face of adversity. It doesn't mean that you never have any difficulty or distress, but rather, mental health resilience means that you are able to bounce back from these challenges and even grow from them.

Here are ten ways to cultivate mental health resilience:

1. Mindfulness and Meditation:

These practices can help you stay centered in the present moment and reduce negative, repetitive thought patterns.

Not a meditation fan? Try doing one activity at a time, paying attention to the multi-sensory experiences with that activity. If any thoughts come up while doing that activity, imagine them floating away and bring your focus back to what you are doing.

2. Emotional Awareness:

Understand and recognize your emotions, and learn how to feel them constructively.

It's okay to feel upset, anxious, or sad. The key is to know how to manage these feelings and not let them overwhelm you. Sometimes you may need to distract yourself, but other times allowing yourself to feel through the emotions without emotional flooding helps.

Think of your emotions like a dropped bottle of soda. If you open the cap all the way, the soda/emotions spill over. If you open the cap slowly and close it, the soda/emotions won’t explode.

3. Social Connections:

Building strong, positive relationships with family and friends can provide a support system during difficult times.

Seek out social activities or groups with similar interests to foster a sense of belonging. Meetup.com, libraries, places of worship, and Facebook groups can be great resources for finding community.

4. Cognitive Flexibility:

Try to develop an adaptable mindset.

Learn to view challenges as opportunities for growth rather than threats. Practice reframing negative thoughts into neutral or positive ones.

In my Improv classes, we learn to celebrate mistakes. I don’t say “yay” out loud in real life when I make a mistake, but I repeat it in my mind.

5. Problem-Solving Skills:

Cultivate the ability to take decisive action towards solutions rather than ruminating on problems.

Using the ACT Matrix is helpful to work on identifying behaviors you can do to meet your goals to bring you closer to the people or things that matter to you.

6. Self-Compassion:

I get it! Treating ourselves compassionately is not an easy process. In a culture that demands perfection, our inner critic voices can be strong.

I love using Dr. Kristin Neff’s self-compassion exercises and meditations to help settle into a space of self-love, nurturance, and celebration.

7. Goal Setting:

Having clear goals can provide a sense of purpose and direction.

Make sure these goals are realistic and achievable and contribute to your overall well-being.

8. Humor:

Find the lighter side of life.

Laughter can reduce stress, so try to incorporate humor into your daily routine.

9. Physical Self-Care:

Part of taking care of your mental health is taking care of your physical health.

Regular exercise, a healthy diet, adequate sleep, and avoiding substances like excessive caffeine, alcohol, and drugs can significantly affect your ability to cope with stress. These are also ways to help emotionally regulate.

10. Seeking Help:

Don't hesitate to seek professional help when needed.

Therapists, counselors, and other mental health professionals can provide valuable tools and strategies for building resilience.

Remember, resilience isn't about toughing it out on your own or suppressing your feelings. It's about understanding that setbacks are a part of life and that it's possible to recover and continue moving forward.

Building resilience is a personal journey, and everyone's experience will be unique. Keep trying different strategies and see what works best for you.