Maintaining and Bulding Resilience
Garry D. Cook, M.Div., LCSW
These are difficult times by anyone’s standards. The uncertainty of the future, the fear of disease, sickness, and death, the growing financial anxiety, etc., etc., etc. Our old ideas of normal have been uprooted. A new normal has demanded space in our lives that is unfamiliar and that threatens our useful routines and traditions. How do we remain strong in such a time?
First of all, anxiety is normal when there is a threat. It’s a signal that tells us to keep our eyes open, to watch the developing situation, to be prepared and cautious. Often referred to as the “fight or flight” syndrome, it is hardwired into our brains to react quickly in the face of threat.
However, reaction is not always our best option. Thoughtful responses are the most useful. If we are in a burning building, the arising strong panicky feeling urges our feet to move quickly. But it is thoughtfulness that gets our feet to move us to a functional exit. Resilience is about snapping back, healing, or returning to “normal.” That helps improve our thoughtfulness. What do we do to build or maintain resilience? The following hopefully contains one or two ideas that you find useful.
Limit your exposure to news. News sources provide useful information. But sensationalism propels sales and is hard to avoid. Get your news a couple of times a day from reliable sources and do so briefly. Too much exposure to “bad” news is proven to trigger anxiety and panic.
Stay connected. While masks and “social distancing” are words for the day, staying connected by phone, Zoom, email, or “appropriately distanced visiting” help keep up our social network. Social media, on the other hand, tends to stir people’s anger or anxiety. Additionally, if you are already anxious, depressed, or burdened, limit or avoid connection with negative people who will chip away at your resilience.
Keep as many of your safe routines as possible. We are creatures of habit, and routines make life feel normal.
Stay meaningfully busy especially if you are socially isolated or quarantined. Read, watch TV (especially comedies), listen to music, watch funny cat videos, love on your pets, do cleaning or home projects that have been put off, and talk to your family. However, if you’ve been cooped up with family for long, be sure that everyone gets some private time each day so as to reduce irritation and frustration.
Last but not least, use your spiritual resources. Pray for people often not on your prayer list. Reflect on your faith in God and what it means to you in these times. Remember all the things in God’s creation that are not disturbed or altered and still are experienced as wonderful. Give thanks to God for as many things as you can think of.
You are encouraged to pick one idea and work on it for several days to see what change you can produce to build and maintain your resilience to hang on, survive, and perhaps, to thrive.
