{"id":3766,"date":"2021-01-21T15:54:15","date_gmt":"2021-01-21T15:54:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vianlp.com\/?p=3766"},"modified":"2022-10-31T22:13:14","modified_gmt":"2022-10-31T22:13:14","slug":"into-the-mud-a-lesson-on-resilience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vianlp.com\/mk\/into-the-mud-a-lesson-on-resilience\/","title":{"rendered":"Into the mud. A lesson on resilience"},"content":{"rendered":"

After ten days of self-isolation due to travel in the current Covid19 circumstances, yesterday was the first day of “<\/span>Feeedooom<\/b>“… my brain was singing George Michael’s lyrics as I left the apartment to go to the park for a loooong walk in nature. It felt amazing to be outside. Fresh air in my lungs, frozen strawberries on my cheeks, a big smile on my face and my feet jumping with joy. With my head completely in the clouds, vividly energised I went on my usual routes into the woods…. and in the mud. The first step on the muddy road and I landed my happy butt directly into the mud \ud83d\ude42 In a split second I could hear my mind deciding wether to start whining for the unfortunate event, focus on the disaster and go back home or lift itself up, laugh at myself and continue the joyous walk in the new brown outfit. Luckily nothing hurt. I jumped out of the mud, straightened the crown on my head and gracefully continued.<\/span><\/p>\n

Resilience<\/b><\/a>, as defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “the ability to recover from or adjust easily to\u00a0misfortune\u00a0or change”. I believe emotional resilience, the psychological ability to adapt to the significant challenges, misfortunes and set-backs life throws our way, while maintaining or returning to a positive view of oneself during and after such turmoil is absolutely essential for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

One might argue the mud story is not such a big misfortune because when you fall you might also end up with bloody knees or a broken shoulder, but I tell you it is quite a metaphor for life. What one does when the fall is more catastrophic? One will go to the doctor, disinfect the wound or end up with immobilisation to heal the body. But, what happens with the psychological fall? When you fail? When you lose your job? When you don’t get the promotion you worked for so hard? When you don’t land that client? When you spend your days trapped at home due to a global pandemic?….<\/span><\/p>\n

2020 for me was a year filled with lessons on resilience. I ended jobless, homeless, with a broken relationship, diagnosed with cancer and the Covid19 pandemic happened. I had it all! “I am a rich person” I usually say – rich with experiences, energy and love. Trapped into the mud and barely holding my head above it to breathe, I needed to find ways how to pull myself out.<\/span><\/p>\n

Research says that individuals who are low in resilience are at risk for experiencing stress, depression, anxiety and interpersonal difficulties. We all have resilience in us, but resilience is more accessible and available to some people than for others. The good news, everyone can strengthen their resilience. It is about learning to maintain your state, regardless of the outside conditions. Having the state of the sky. When you fly in a plane, even on stormy days, the sky is blue above the clouds. Because the sky sees the impermanence of the clouds and rainbows.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, what we need is to develop an inner state that is immune to the good shit and the bad shit that happens. Here are some of my suggestions how:<\/span><\/p>\n