5 Ways to Increase Emotional Resilience
Do you ever ask yourself ‘Why do I feel so tired all the time?’ With a full life. you can feel pulled in many directions and before you know it, you will feel strained physically, mentally and emotionally too! While the number of t-nJrs you work and the amount of sleep you have. undeniably contributes to your energy levels, did you know that energy is derived most from your emotional well-being?
Research has discovered that physical energy can supply, at most. thirty per cent of our total energy. The remaining seventy per cent comes from our emotional energy So. which energy zone are you in right now?
By creating new energy habits, we can all fuel our emotional energy and thus, emotional resilience in a sustainable way. So here are five proven ways to help you get into and stay in the ‘performance zone.’
1. Broaden Your Range Of Positive Emotions
You may have heard of the ratio that has been proven many times over by psychologists as the ratio of positive to negative emotions that we need in order to flourish and to help others flourish.
Take a typical day and try to assess your positive to negative emotional ratio. In other words, how many times do you feel positive. versus negative thoughts? One way to open up a new gateway of positiVity is to spend a few minutes each day. identifying events that you feel grateful for. It’s the small things that matter, like having a great cup of coffee with a friend.
2. Review Your Support Network
Spending too much time with others Will deplete your energy levels. if you are introverted in preference. Conversely, if you are more extroverted, this may be exactly what you need. So striking the right balance for you is important. You also need a balance in the type of support you receive. Whilst your friends and family can provide a great deal of ’emotional’ support, if you want to build your emotional resilience, you also need ‘challenging’ support. to help you think differently. This may come from outside of your closest network. So, check in on your network and be prepared to make some changes!
3. Learn Strategies To Develop Realistic Optimism
Research shows that developing optimism is a key factor in our resilience toolbox. It can improve performance at work and can also lead to better physical and mental health. Someone who is ‘realistically optimistiC’ will question what is the best that can happen, what is the worst and what is most likely to happen. This person is able to see the possibilities creatively in every challenge.
4. Explore Mindfulness
Developing mindfulness can take many forms. whether it is creating a meditative practice or Simply being more mindful of your surroundings, As well as encouraging you to be more grounded in the present, mindfulness also increases the amount Of brain activity in your left prefrontal cortex that is linked to creativity. Therefore. following a mindful practice for ten minutes, a day can help regulate your mood and focus.
5. Rebalance Your Activities
Everyone has multiple roles in their life and those who are most resilient are not totally defined by one role So are you getting enough of the things that restore your energy? Find an activity that is completely unrelated to your work and that fills you with positive energy. If you already have one, are you able to dedicate enough time to it? If not, consider what you need to change, ‘Rebalancing’ has been proven to be important for your brain’s healthy functioning, because it fuels three important hormones namely serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin that are central to remaining in a resourceful state.
Steps To Consider For Renewed Resilience
Consider these simple steps to help you kick start 2018 with renewed resilience:
- On a scale of 1-10. how strong is your motivation to make a change to strengthen your emotional resilience? What can you do to boost your motivation by one point? Be specific.
- What one change could you make in the next week that will make a positive difference?
- Write down your commitment to yourself. Share it with others and go for it!
Adapting To Changes
Many of us know the term ROI (Return on Investment). When it comes to your own resilience and motivation, it is important to consider where you spend your energy to achieve the greatest return – let’s call it Return on Energy Investment or ROEI. Positive steps towards strengthening your emotional resilience will pay dividends in your positivity, energy levels, and motivation.