Simply put, resilience is the ability to adapt to change.  And we have certainly been going through a lot of change in 2020!  How are you adapting?  For me, the answer to that question varies every day.

So how do we strengthen our ability to adapt, especially on those difficult days?  Try this technique and let me know how it works for you.

1. Imagine it’s 2021, and your current challenge is a thing of the past. What does life look like for you in this new future? How do you feel knowing that you successfully overcame the challenge?  Are you proud, excited, relieved, optimistic, or other positive emotions?  Write down a few words to describe your life and your feelings in this future state.
2. Now, imagine you have been transported into the past and reflect on a previous challenge that you successfully overcame. What was the situation, and how did you feel when you first encountered it?  Were you frustrated, stressed, scared, angry, or feeling some other negative emotions?  Write down a few words to describe the challenge and your feelings at the time.  How do these emotions relate to what you’re feeling now with your current challenge?
3. Staying in the past, think about what steps you took to navigate through the past challenge. What strengths did you apply?  What resources did you use? Did you ask someone for help?  Did you seek out to learn something new? Did you break it down into smaller parts to make it more manageable to navigate? Write down a few of the steps you took at the time.
4. Now, come back into the present. How might you apply some of the techniques you used in the past to overcome your current situation?  What additional methods do you want to try?  Create a list of actions you plan to take to help you navigate through your current challenge.
5. Finally, get yourself out of your head and into action. Work on your list of activities and start moving forward to tackle your current challenge.