Strategies for building resilience and maintain mental and emotional health are critical components of mental health. Although resilience has been called the guardian of the mind, its construction and maintenance should be something one should understand. However, the following strategies to build strength may help those working to improve their mental health. The process can serve as a useful tool for professionals to build resilience; therefore. Anyone with challenges relating to resilience should work closely with a mental health professional.
Development of Resilience
Building resilience begins early in life. This means that children who are successful gain the support they need from their family and peers to help them cope with stress and anxiety. Those who are less resilient or have difficulty dealing with stress and anxiety may benefit from encouraging themselves to learn effective coping mechanisms, such as relaxation techniques and meditation. These coping mechanisms will help them better handle their stress and anxiety and eventually manage these challenges more effectively.
Dealing with Emotions
Effective resilience depends upon finding appropriate ways to deal with emotions that cause distress. This involves identifying and addressing negative emotions, as well as positive emotions. People can be sensitive to negative emotions like guilt, anger, and sadness and can experience significant distress when confronted with these emotions. Those who have been maltreated may also be sensitive to negative emotions, such as anxiety, depression, and sorrow. Thus, mental health coaches must provide consistently positive experiences (such as celebration, adventure, and laughter) and exposure to healthy, positive activities (which do not cause trauma and lead to distress) for people struggling with resilience issues.
Indulge in Healthy Activities
Strategies to build resilience should also incorporate efforts to indulge in healthy activities. These include fostering a sense of exploration and growth within the individual and encouraging participation in various endeavors (including sports, music therapy, art therapy, and physical activity). These efforts should be ongoing and part of an overall effort to reduce or eliminate the negative impact of stress and vulnerability on an individual’s life. Moreover, resilience is strengthened when an individual takes part in healthy activities.
Biological and Environmental Risk Factors
Finally, strategies to build resilience involve addressing underlying biological and environmental risk factors. While there is no one set of risk factors that apply to every individual, a number of risk factors are common among individuals who have high levels of emotional distress. These common risk factors include lower coping skills (such as self-control), lower social support, poor nutrition, higher than optimal levels of perceived control and responsibility, less active participation in community life, and greater health risks (e.g., greater obesity, smoking, lack of physical activity). Individuals who suffer from these deficiencies may be particularly vulnerable to the adverse health impacts associated with these deficiencies.
