How to bounce forward when faced with challenges

Have you heard of the phrase ‘bounce back?’

The Cambridge definition describes bouncing back as “starting to be successful again after a difficult period, such as failure, loss of confidence, illness, or unhappiness.’

When you go through failure, change or adversity, you experience new challenges that teach you new lessons and ultimately shape the person you become. As a result, you learn new things about yourself, understand your capabilities and build new wisdom, making you different from before.

This is why at EQ Minds, we prefer to use ‘bounce forward.’

So what’s the best way to bounce forward when faced with adversity?

Just like some people are born with more athletic ability than others, some people are born with more innate resilience. But you want to know the cool part? You can build and strengthen your resilience the same way you train to get more muscle.

Neuroscience shows that it only takes ten minutes per day of intentional cognitive training, like a gratitude practice and reflective journaling, to make healthy changes to your brain. All it takes is consistency and determination.

Tips to build resilience

Connect with people
Building strong, positive relationships with loved ones and friends can provide you with the support, guidance and acceptance you need in good and tough times. Reach out to someone for a walk or sign up for volunteering opportunities to get your dose of connection.

Listen to your body
Practising positive lifestyle factors like proper nutrition, ample sleep, hydration, and regular exercise can strengthen your body to adapt to stress and reduce the toll of emotions like anxiety or depression. Listen to the cues your body gives off, like stress, fatigue, or irritability - they are often indicators of something else.

Practice healthy thoughts
Just like exercising your body, you also have to exercise your mind. Try to identify areas of irrational thinking, such as a tendency to catastrophise or assuming the world is out to get you, and adopt a more balanced and realistic thinking pattern. For instance, if you feel overwhelmed by a challenge, remind yourself that what happened to you isn’t an indicator of how your future will go and that you’re not helpless.

Reminders when you feel negative emotions:

• Grief can show us that we need someone’s help or support.
• Anger can show us that we care passionately about something.
• Sadness can show us what we truly value.
• Apathy can show us what we don’t truly value.
• Fear can show us just how powerful our imaginations can be.

Through practice and consistency, it's possible to build resilience the same way you build muscle. Focus on your relationships, listen to your body and practice reframing negative thoughts to help take back your power and bounce forward.

For more tips on how to build resilience and bounce forward, check out The Mindful High Performer by Chelsea Pottenger. You can order it here.