We all have the ability to be resilient. Resilience is like an invisible muscle that is woven through every fibre of our being, and it requires exercise to strengthen and grow. This past year, I had plenty of life experiences that helped me bulk up that muscle: I was in a car accident and suffered a concision, my husband had a heart attack and quadruple bypass surgery, and that’s not even half of it. But despite it all, I became a best-selling author, publishing my first book that rose to #1 on Amazon.
I’ve wanted to publish a book my entire life, spent many hours writing my heart out and planned to celebrate my Biz Mitzvah with a book launch party. How did I push through such a tumultuous year and be able to achieve one of the biggest goals I’ve set for myself in life? Follow these five exercises and see how I increased my ability to be resilient, so when life throws you a curveball, you can hit it out of the park.
Share your story
Have you overcome a challenge and survived a difficult time in the past? Are you navigating a dark path? Sharing your story and feelings will help you heal. Don’t keep everything bottled up inside. Write it down in a journal, call a friend or loved one, talk to a therapist, share on social media or write an article. I share my stories as much as possible because it helps me heal and guides others on their healing journey.
Have a daily gratitude practice
Did you know that practicing daily gratitude makes you a happier person? It’s real, and this concept is even backed up by science. Research shows that if you list three things that you are grateful for, every day for at least 21 days, the neural pathways
in your brain change so that you will see the world more positively. For over five years, my alarm goes off at 9:00 pm and I list three things that I’m grateful for from the past 24 hours. While my husband was in the hospital for three weeks due to a heart attack and quadruple bypass surgery, we practiced gratitude every day (even his roommate joined us).
Spend time outside
It’s rare for me to not go outside every day to soak up some nature. If I don’t go for a one-hour hike in the morning, I’ll take my lunch break outdoors or even have walking conference calls out in the sunshine (or rain or snow). Moving your body will help your adrenaline flow and boost endorphins that you need to get through difficult times.
Ditch the junk food
Fuel your body with clean and whole foods. For me, that meant reducing the amount of added sugar that I eat except for the occasional box of Milk Duds.
Make sleep a priority
I know that I function best on eight hours of sleep and that I’m the most productive in the morning. So, I work backwards from when I need to wake up, giving me my bedtime. I’ve also been known to turn down plans and leave social situations to go to sleep. While it might seem counterintuitive because so many of us call it a night when we just can’t take any more, that’s actually your body telling you that you need to recharge. When you open up your eyes in the morning with a fresh perspective, you’ll be ready to take the next day on by storm.