This is the 2nd installment in our blog series on Resilience.
Resilience is a recipe. And, like many recipes it has any number of ingredients. It is not just one thing; rather it is a compound of many traits or skills. One important component of resilience is flexibility or the ability for a person to accept the circumstances they find themselves in, even if they are not ideal.
Flexibility is a key component to maintaining resiliency. Resilient people tend to be flexible in their way of thinking and responding to stress. They typically are not entrenched in hardened thought patterns of what must be. Instead, they opt to flow and remain cognitive of potential possibilities. They have an ability to pivot and are accepting of change. There is a mindful approach to every situation which in turn reduces emotional decision making which may not always be in their long-term best interest.
An important component of mindful flexibility is accepting the situation we find ourselves in, even if that situation is frightening or painful. Acceptance is a key part of the ability to tolerate highly stressful situations. Avoidance and denial are the most common counterproductive coping strategies that can provide short term relief; but create long term challenges and can stand in our path. If we keep reacting in the same way to the same set of circumstances, negative patterns will be repeated, and the result is a continuous cycle of things we don’t want. Having the ability to change, try a different approach and be open to new ideas can create inner strength and resilience during the most trying to times.
Many situations can be intimidating and what causes stress and anxiety in one person may not affect another. We all have different tolerance levels for varying triggers. Learning to step outside of our personal fears and observe the situation from an analytical perspective instead of an emotional reaction can lead to feeling increased control and raise our ability to navigate the intimidating scenarios with strength in adversity.
A wise man once said, “If you do what you’ve always done, you will get what you’ve always got”. Growth and change do not spring from digging our heels in and being closed minded. It comes from trying new approaches, taking risks, stepping outside of our usual way of thinking and having a willingness to welcome change, think differently and practice flexibility.
