Emotional resilience refers to how well a person adapts to a stressful situation or crisis. People who can bounce back after hardship without any prolonged repercussions are the ones who will benefit the most. Even if you aren’t feeling particularly resilient at the moment, there are many tips to follow that can help you get there. 

The first step is acknowledgment and acceptance of the current situation. Let yourself feel whatever you need to feel about what’s going on. There are no right or wrong feelings. Take the time to process, even if it’s unpleasant. Radical acceptance is the first step towards achieving a peaceful outlook about any difficult situation.

Once you have taken time to acknowledge your inner self, make sure you also make self-care a priority. It could be just 3 minutes of mediation, or taking a shower can inherently boost your outlook. Take time each day to exercise to get your heart pumping and your blood flowing. Aim for at least 30 minutes of something that gets your heart rate up. Make it something you enjoy so you can stay consistent.

Even if you can’t see friends socially like you used to, that doesn’t mean you should be isolated. Plan video calls with friends or online games together to satisfy the human need for connection.

Sometimes it helps to get a little perspective. Volunteer with a charity or donate items to those less fortunate than yourself. Taking time to experience gratitude and reframing how you see things can really make it easier to tough it out in times of strife. 

Many self-help books recommend starting the day off with intention. Start by making your bed first thing in the morning, as soon as you wake up. This not only sets the stage for the beginning of the workday and the end of the sleep period, but it feels satisfying to immediately have instant gratification and a feeling of checking something off a to-do list straight away. The same satisfaction has been known to come from polishing the kitchen sink or doing laundry or removing piled items off the floor. All of the visuals will help clear your mind and inspire you to focus on what needs to be done. It’s important to surround yourself with an environment that matches the way you want your mind to work.