MAKE YOUR NEXT STEP COUNT: BUILDING RESILIENCE IN THE SMALLEST OF MOMENTS
Resilience is such an “it” word right now. It seems to be thrown about left right and centre attached with stories of heroism, rising from a huge fall of defeat or trudging through the mess of life for months on end only to find happiness and fulfilment in the final hour. Although they are all wonderful and remarkable stories of resilience that should be commended and celebrated, I cannot help but think that it is the small and often insignificant moments that can be forgotten, misplaced or ignored enabling us to miss many many potential moments of building resilience and growing throughout the daily grind.
The moment when you notice that a colleague has been recognised for their efforts and you turn inwards and criticise yourself for not putting in the extra effort, the moment when you refuse to ask for help because you do not want to be seen as weak or incompetent, the moment when you choose to stay up late and watch Netflix instead of prioritising your sleep, the moment when you choose the lift instead of the stairs. Throughout our day there are always moments and opportunities for us to stop, observe, problem solve, adapt, seek support and act. Yet we brush over them, perceive them as an inconvenience, toss them away as someone else’s issue or we simply do not notice.
It is in the moments that we stop and listen to the story in our head and ask ourselves “is that really what is going on here?” or “what can I do about this?” that recharges our power to adapt, grow and learn. It is the moment when we recognise that seeking support and collaborating with others will bring new perspectives and grow our resources. It is the moment when we purposefully plan for sleep and restoration and health becomes a priority because we know without a doubt that this is the recipe for a day of purpose, power and productivity.
Resilience can be built in the big, the bold and the bountiful moments. But resilience can also be built in the modest, the mundane and the quietest of moments that invariably float by without our acknowledgement. Instead of waiting for a tumultuous change to test your resilience capacity, try it in the next moment of frustration, the next moment of judgement, the next moment of fatigue. Ask yourself “What is one thing that I can do next that would be helpful?”.
By DAVINIA GLENDENNING SANA PSYCHOLOGY
P: 0468719857 E: admin@sanapsych.com.au