Resilient

Everyone has a certain level of resilience. From time to time, we all experience stress, emotional upsets, and challenges in our lives. Resilience is the ability to withstand these situations, quickly recover from them, and be able to return to balance and harmony. Often our resilience depends on the resources we have to call upon, which could include friends and family, finances, knowledge, and past experiences. But resilience shouldn’t be just about surviving, true resilience opens the door for us to thrive and live life fully. What’s broken can be mended, what’s hurt can be healed and no matter how dark it gets, the sun is going to rise again.

If we learn anything over the course of our lives it’s that we are adaptable beings, capable of changing at a moment's notice. As we navigate the many transitions that life has to offer us, our ability to be flexible and move with, as opposed to against, is challenged. Though it may be uncomfortable at times, we all have the capacity for these types of shifts.

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times - “Everyone suffers. It’s the human condition.” Whether you’re an Olympic athlete or a champion at binging shows on Netflix, you’re human. Because you’re human, you face adversity on a regular basis.

“You never know how strong you are, until being strong is the only choice” –Bob Marley

We can all agree it has been a tough year. A global pandemic, upheaval of everyday life, political and social turmoil, and natural disasters have overtaken our lives. You may have found that as the days and weeks go by, the stress has begun to weigh heavily on your spirit. So many have experienced personal traumas, changing lives forever. Whether you have been impacted directly or indirectly, the question becomes how do you build resilience during instability and change, especially for the coming days ahead?

To help you navigate life’s challenges and build resilience, look to the five elements of nature—earth, air, fire, water, and space—for inspiration. Read how these elements can help you adapt to change.

While there is no precedent in research for the collective impact of social distancing, children are resilient. Here are a few strategies that can lessen the anxiety that many children may be experiencing.