Building Resilience in Everyday Life
We all experience challenges in life—loss of a relationship, illness, mental health struggles, financial difficulties, or other significant hardships that can trigger stress and emotional strain. How we respond to these moments, often through small, everyday choices, shapes how that stress affects us. That ability to cope with life’s challenges and keep moving forward is known as resilience.
What is Resilience?
Resilience is an inner strength that helps us adapt and recover from challenges and setbacks, even when life feels overwhelming. While it’s often associated with overcoming hardship, resilience can also foster meaningful personal growth.
Why Resilience Matters for Mental Health
We are often at our most vulnerable during a crisis or difficult period in life. During these times, resilience can act as a protective “buffer,” helping you manage intense emotions and navigate difficult circumstances.
Although everyone’s experience is different, people with greater resilience are generally better able to tolerate the emotional distress during challenging times. Resilience supports your ability to manage stress, anxiety, and sadness—and helps you overcome and grow from setbacks.
Practical Ways to Build Resilience
Foster Physical and Emotional Wellness
Caring for your body plays an important role in supporting resilience. Practicing self-care benefits both your physical and mental health, especially since stress affects the mind and body together. Prioritizing sleep, nutrition, and exercise can strengthen your capacity to handle stress and reduce the emotional impact of anxiety or depression.
Practicing mindfulness through journaling, meditation, or stress-reduction techniques such as yoga can also build resilience. These practices help train your nervous system to respond more flexibly to stress, rather than becoming overwhelmed by it.
Embrace Healthy Thoughts
The way you think can strongly influence how you feel and how well you regulate emotions during challenging situations. Noticing your thoughts and emotions without immediately reacting creates space to pause and choose a more thoughtful, constructive response instead of acting on impulse.
Over time, this can reduce patterns of worry, anger, or shame and help you respond in ways that better support your well-being.
Focusing on what you can control is another important resilience skill. When you shift attention away from what’s outside your control—such as other people’s actions, the past, or others’ opinions—you may feel less stuck and more empowered.
Directing energy toward what you can influence preserves emotional energy and strengthens problem-solving skills.
Reach Out to Others
Supportive, meaningful relationships play a key role in resilience. Connecting with friends or family during difficult times can help you feel understood and less isolated. They can offer encouragement, help you seek support, or remind you to prioritize healthy choices when you’re feeling most vulnerable.
Supportive relationships can also offer practical assistance – such as advice, resources, help with daily tasks, or brainstorming solutions. This can make overwhelming problems feel more manageable and reinforce that you don’t have to face everything alone.
Seek Professional Support
Professional support can be an important part of strengthening resilience. While many people can draw on personal coping strategies and the tools above, there are times when you may feel stuck or unsure how to move forward.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or uncertain where to begin, reaching out for professional support can be a helpful first step. An APMG provider can offer compassionate, personalized care as you work toward building resilience – and remind you that you don’t have to navigate difficult times alone.