On #worldmentalday2023 let’s talk mental resilience. Along with Zoom, resilience may be the post-pandemic word of the decade. What does resilience mean to you?

Online you can discover several tips on how to become more mentally resilient and the characteristics of people who tend to be resilient, including:
A strong sense of self and purpose: know your personal values - WHO I am and what I stand for; what’s my moral compass. In the game of life, I recommend start here. Let me know if you’d like to receive my free Values Assessment exercise.
Realistic optimism – instead of dwelling on the negatives, look for opportunities even in difficult situations. Accept what cannot change and focus energy on what can be changed. So hard to do when your mind is ruminating, producing unhelpful emotions and energy – this chain reaction can be changed (ask me)! Even in the most negatively perceived situations, there is usually something to learn or grow from.
Cognitive & emotional flexibility – being able to “roll with the punches” and adapt to new situations. This links to the next point. Would you like to be more of a “roller”?
“Growth Mindset” – viewing challenges, set-backs and mistakes not as negative outcomes, but as opportunities for learning and growth. You can hone this skill.
Being altruistic – seeing beyond yourself and your own needs, putting others first. I advise caution with this one. Many people I coach, especially women, tend to put others’ needs ahead of their own and inadequately take care of their own needs. This can be problematic in the long-term for their health and relationships. Those who have worked with me and taken the Energy Leadership Index assessment, may recognise this as level 4 “giving” energy. From the Energy Leadership perspective, optimal for long-term resilience is a more “win-win” scenario where both you and the other person benefit and have your needs met (level 5, at least).
Social connectedness – having a good social support network, and not just digitally. This one is often overlooked but vital for our mental health and resilience! It’s my #1 tip. If, like me, you’re an expat, expat parent or single parent, you’ll know the importance of this one!
Usually lacking from such lists, and vital for anyone who is carrying any sort of trauma, is an awareness of your state of emotional regulation and how to self-regulate. Stress and trauma manifest in the body, not only in the mind. Only through conscious awareness of the state of our own emotional regulation and physiology, and knowing how to manage any dysregulation, are we able to reach our potential and remain mentally resilient through whatever life throws at us. It’s important to gain an understanding of what triggers you, how that manifests in your body, and techniques to bring yourself back to a state of nervous regulation and calm. I’ll talk more in a forthcoming post about how to notice and manage your body’s triggered stress response. As always, this advice is not meant to replace proper medical therapy where that is indicated. I encourage everyone to reach out for the help they need for any physical or mental health issue, including past trauma.
Due to the unprecedented pace of the technological revolution and its impact on our mental and physical health, developing mental resilience is more crucial now than ever before. We now head into the next stage of this revolution, with artificial intelligence (#AI) resulting in an exponential rate of change. Investing in your, and your children’s, mental health and resilience is probably the best investment of time/energy/money you can make. Look out for forthcoming posts and blogs about the #attentioneconomy and how to manage your attention in order to remain mentally resilient in a world of increasing overwhelm.

Take care of yourself this #worldmentalhealthday :
connect with a friend,
take a walk in nature,
turn off devices for a while,
be intentional with your attention,
be you.
#resilience is rooted in authenticity, intentionality and self-care
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