Resilience

A session with a psychologist focused on building resilience may involve the following components: 

• Mindfulness practice: Your psychologist guides you through a mindfulness meditation exercise, focusing on present-moment awareness and non-judgmental acceptance of thoughts and emotions. Through mindfulness practice, you'll cultivate greater emotional regulation and resilience. 
• Reframing unhelpful thought patterns: Your psychologist helps you identify negative thought patterns related to resilience, such as catastrophising or self-blame. Using cognitive restructuring techniques, you'll learn to challenge these thoughts and develop more adaptive coping strategies. 
• Value clarification: Your psychologist assists you to clarify your values and goals, exploring what is truly meaningful and important to you. By aligning actions with values, you'll enhance resilience and foster a sense of purpose and direction in life. 
• Behavioural activation: Your psychologist helps you identify activities and behaviours that promote resilience and well-being. Together, you'll develop a plan for engaging in these activities regularly, fostering a sense of mastery and accomplishment. 

Poor resilience can manifest in various ways, affecting different aspects of your life.

• Difficulty coping with stress: You may find it hard to manage everyday stressors, feeling overwhelmed or anxious even in minor situations.
• Negative thought patterns: You might frequently engage in negative self-talk, focusing on your weaknesses and failures rather than your strengths and successes.
• Avoidance of challenges: Instead of facing challenges head-on, you may tend to avoid them altogether due to fear of failure or lack of confidence in your abilities.
• Physical symptoms of stress: Poor resilience can also manifest in physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension, stomach problems, or difficulty sleeping.
• Low self-esteem: You may have a diminished sense of self-worth or confidence, often doubting your abilities and feeling inadequate.
• Social withdrawal: You may find it challenging to connect with others or seek support.
• Difficulty in adapting to change: You might struggle to adapt to changes in your life, whether they are major life transitions or smaller disruptions to your routine.
• Lack of problem-solving skills: You may have difficulty finding effective solutions to problems or setbacks, leading to a sense of helplessness or hopelessness.
• Persistent feelings of helplessness: You might feel like you have little control over your circumstances or the ability to influence outcomes in your life.
• Frequent mood swings: Poor resilience can contribute to mood instability, with fluctuations between feelings of sadness, anger, or frustration.

If you recognise several of these signs in yourself, it's worth considering ways to improve your resilience. Building resilience is a skill that can be developed over time through self-awareness, coping strategies, social support, and positive thinking habits, with the support and guidance of an experienced psychologist.