No, it's not that I no longer feel like writing regular newsletters. It's more that life overwhelmed me in the first half of the year and went a bit beyond the resources available to me. And there weren't even any dramas in my personal or professional life, it was just a bit too much of everything. Furthermore, as a socially and politically interested person, I find it particularly difficult to accept that I can do little or nothing to change the current negative developments in the world for the better.
This has made the topic of resilience all the more important to me. How can we manage to stay motivated each day and remain positively engaged in our own lives - even when everything feels overwhelming, when we feel largely powerless in the face of the world’s injustices - while also maintaining good mental health?
Resilience is a somewhat abstract concept - it refers to the ability to keep getting back up, even when facing difficult or challenging circumstances.
So, how can we strengthen or develop our own resilience? I’ve put together seven key points on this topic:
- Build networks and maintain contacts: People can support you in difficult times, you can exchange ideas with them, they show you other perspectives or reaffirm you, with the effect that you don't feel alone. Having large networks also expands your influence and makes you feel less powerless.
- Prioritise self-care: Enjoying rest or nature, experiencing culture, cultivating hobbies, exercising, practising meditation, enjoying ease through socialising, making sure you get enough sleep and eating healthily and enjoyably. This can significantly reduce your own perceived stress levels.
- Accept what is and focus on what you can change and influence. This gives you a feeling of self-efficacy.
- Find meaning in the everyday and immediate environment when you cannot influence the big picture.
- Develop problem-solving skills so that the number of challenges does not become too big: This can be achieved, for example, by taking responsibility; making decisions instead of putting them off; finding out what is important and what is less so, and thus focussing on the essentials instead of everything.
- Accept change instead of (inwardly) rebelling against it. This saves a lot of energy that can be used for other things, e.g. building networks.
- Remain optimistic: see the positive and maintain confidence or hope that things will turn out well after all.
Speaking for myself, I can say that I'm already doing quite well in some of the seven areas mentioned. However, when it comes to self-care, it tends to fall by the wayside in my own life - especially during stressful periods. From now on, I’ll make a stronger effort to work on that. How about you? What are you already really good at? On the other hand, where do you still have areas for growth?
This text first appeared in my newsletter "It's innovation Wednesday". It is published once a month. For subscription click here