How to Build Resilience and Overcome Life Challenges

Resilience is defined as the ability to bounce back from adversity, and is the inner “stuff,” or power that grants us the resolve to navigate difficult life challenges.

When we are resilient, we are better able to adapt to changing circumstances, recover from setbacks with less stress and anxiety, and stay the course of our long-term vision. We can remain calm in the face of what we fear, better manage our emotions, and avoid becoming overwhelmed by our stress and anxiety.

When we are resilient, we are also better able to communicate effectively, manage conflicts, and maintain relationships with others. Resilience allows us to remain clear of mind and capable of diffusing conflict, by being able to empathize, be creative, and become curious, all of which are capabilities that break down when our minds and bodies are stressed. 

Some examples of the most famously resilient people in recent history include:

Nelson Mandela — a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary who spent 27 years in prison for his political activism. Despite these struggles and the real pain of oppression, he remained resilient by never losing hope. The letters he wrote from prison, published in is autobiography , A Long Walk to Freedom, underscore the immesnse depth and power of his resilience. After his release from prison, he went on to become the first black President of South Africa.

Malala Yousafzai — a Pakistani activist for female education who survived being shot in the head at the age of 15 when she spoke out against the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education. Despite the grievous attack, she remained resilient and continued on in her commitment to advocating for women’s rights and education. Malala has gone on to become a global advocate for girls’ rights.

Oprah Winfrey — a woman whose last name is often left out in references, who has become a billionaire American media executive, talk show host, and philanthropist after overcoming a difficult childhood marked by poverty, abuse, and trauma. Her book, What Happened to You, is an inspiring and educational exploration of her experiences and reflections in life, through the prism of psychology. Despite her challenges in life, she remained resilient and went on to become one of the most influential people in history, empowering and inspiring countless others.

Cultivating resilience can be challenging, but the reward immense. 

Here are a few actionable tips for how you can cultivate resilience in your own life, in order to grant you the courage to walk your own path, pursue your dreams, and realize your full potential:

Develop a “growth” mindset

A growth mindset is the belief that we can learn and grow from our experiences, even when we initially perceive them as negative. Adopting a growth mindset enables you to reframe setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth, rather than seeing them as closed-ended failures.

Maintain your support system

Having a strong support system of family, friends, and even a broader community of people with whom we have less frequent interactions with is essential to helping us to stay resilient. As social beings, we need connection with others and belonging within groups in order to minimize or process the buildup of stress. Maintaining a support system also means a give and take of support. When you support the resilience of others when they need it, they will in turn support you in your time of need.

Take care of yourself and your life outside of work, too

Taking care of ourselves includes getting enough sleep (7–9 hours per day), eating a nutritious diet (including drinking enough water), exercising regularly (get 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise), and engaging in creative and or fun activities that we intrinsically enjoy and find meaning in, without the pressure of earning income from. Taking care of ourselves is essential for enabling our bodies to process stress properly during our daily life, which is in turn essential in enabling us to think clearly and react to situations without the influence of stress.

Build a solutions mindset

Similar to a growth mindset, a solutions-oriented mindset is the act of consciously focusing on what is actionable and possible in the future in any given situation, rather than remaining stuck thinking about the problems or what has already happened. When faced with a challenge, it can be easy to dwell on the problem and feel helpless; however, this causes us to be less creative, courageous, and capable, and can create self-fulfilling prophecy of remaining stuck. As is taught in motorcycle riding or sports classes, your body will tend to follow in the direction where your eyes and head are looking; so, too will your mind follow your conscious focus, for better or worse.

Find a strong sense of purpose

Resilient individuals tend to have a clear sense of purpose or a deeply held belief that drives their actions and gives them the strength to persevere in the face of adversity. This takes time and is unique for everyone, but you can begin this process by defining your personal values, and also envisioning your life purpose statement.

Anyone can build resilience, and exercise it when encountering life challenges or stress. Additionally, the more you practice these key techniques in developing resilience, the easier it will become, and the more you will be able to cultivate resilience each new day of your life.