We are living in difficult, uncertain, fear-promoting times. The ground seems shaky underfoot and we have no choice but to adapt. When the outside world is changeable and we are stressed out, unable to rely on our usual coping strategies and have at least some measure of control over lives it’s time to strengthen up our inner resources.

We can build our emotional resilience like a muscle, like you would slowly increase the number of sit-ups you do each day to tone your abdomen muscles. We can incorporate new habits into our daily lives to support ourselves, we all deserve high quality attention to our own inner comfort, in fact it’s essential. Any resistance or self-sabotage, maybe in the form of forgetfulness, inconsistency, undeserving, or intense emotions of stress, anger, rage, anxiety, can be read as a text message from life to you to accept, love, forgive and let go – this is a very worthwhile process to be undertaken, both solo and with support from others.

1 Recall that you have faced and survived difficult times before. It may not have been pretty at times, but here you are still alive and stronger for it, whether you recognise it or not. Victor Frankl knows all about this, after surviving years in concentration camps during WW2 he wrote this still famous quote: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” To me this is one of the more subtle benefits of age – growing your own wisdom and self-assurance through experience.

2 Mindfulness practices – there are so many! From breath awareness meditations to eating slowly and taking time to appreciate the processes involved in how the food got to you, I find mindfulness very calming, grounding and promotes a feeling of safety within. It’s an interesting technique to explore, and involves bringing your attention to the present moment without judgement. There are several YouTube videos, articles, books, apps and classes on mindfulness to dive into.

3 Use movement to help you give your mind some space and processing time, build your strength, connect to your power and support digestion. I find qi gong very centering, and other fantastic forms of exercise are yoga, walking, dancing, aerobics etc. I’m sure you already know the types of movement you enjoy. My blog on exercise may help inspire you - Don’t Want To Exercise? Let The Reasons Why Guide You

4 Invest in good sleep to help keep you functioning at your best during the day. When we are worried and not coping well, sleep can be one of the first things to be impacted, having a knock-on effect on your overall well being. Gather a list of the tools that have helped you return to good sleep in the past, or that others swear by. Approaching bedtime calmly and consciously will be very worth it. I find playing Jason Stephenson’s guided meditations helpful, as well as drinking a cup of Pukka’s Peace tea, and meditating for 15 mins as part of my pre-bed routine. Other considerations to create the right conditions for sleep are sound levels, light and temperature. During summer nights ear plugs, an eye mask and air fan or air conditioning unit may be useful aids.

5 Bringing some awareness to the impact of what you are consuming on your emotional wellness will also be very wise, certain TV programmes and mainstream media news may add to the stress. Consider that you may benefit from dedicated time to re-centre yourself after unavoidable interactions and situations that are likely to push your buttons. Don’t carry stressful thoughts and memories around in your head for days on end, easier said than done I know, but bringing your attention to these things when they happen and resolving to support yourself to let go will be very empowering and help you bounce back more quickly. We start to learn that experience makes us stronger, and see uncomfortable experiences as times of learning – a key to resilience. I hope these tips have been helpful and inspiring.