RESILIENCE

15 WAYS TO WEATHER LIFE’S CHALLENGES

Sometimes life isn’t quite the nonstop party we thought it would be. There’s sickness and grief, unexpected tragedies and our own frailties. Not to mention the dayin, dayout malaise that occasionally strikes us all. These days, that malaise is as common as grocery lines and overdue bills.

But persevere, we must. After all, the world keeps spinning whether we’re up for it or not. Fortunately, there are many easy — and free — steps to help us navigate life’s downturns. Some of these tips are common sense, some are innovative paths to selfawareness, and all are good reminders for everyone trying to avoid despair in these dark times.

The good news, according to mental health professionals, is that personal resilience — the ability to bounce back after a hardship — is possible for everyone. It’s not something certain people have a knack for and others don’t.

“Resilience is not fixed. It’s like a muscle, you can work at it and become better at it,” says Rachel Thomas, chief executive of the Sheryl Sandberg & Dave Goldberg Family Foundation, which promotes mental wellness to help people overcome adversity. Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook, has written extensively on the topic since her husband died unexpectedly at age 47 in 2015.

“Especially now, people are facing a lot of stress and unknowns. A lot of us can get hung up by it,” Thomas says. “But there are things you can build into your day, and work at, to help you get through to the other side.”

Dr. Urmi Patel, a clinical psychologist and director of clinical care for Sutter Mental Health and Addiction Care, defines resilience as “the ability to cope mentally and emotionally with trauma or difficulty, and quickly get back to a state of equilibrium.”

“In general, people have the ability to grow their resilience. It’s not an innate capability, it can develop,” she says. “Even for people who experience trauma as children, it’s amazing how much resilience they actually have.”

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