Lifestyle and home remedies
Here are some steps you can take to care for your emotional well-being.
Tips to improve resilience
Resilience is the ability to adapt well to stress, adversity, trauma or tragedy — basically, the ability to bounce back after experiencing a difficult event. Building resilience may vary from person to person, but consider these strategies:
- Stay connected with healthy social supports, such as positive friends and loved ones.
- Do something that gives you a sense of accomplishment, enjoyment and purpose every day.
- Live a healthy lifestyle that includes good sleep, a healthy diet and regular physical activity.
- Learn from past experiences about how you can improve your coping skills.
- Remain hopeful about the future and strive for a positive attitude.
- Recognize and develop your personal strengths.
- Face your fears and accept challenges.
- Make a plan to address problems when they occur, rather than avoid them.
It may help you to talk things over with caring family and friends, receive support from a faith community, or find a support group geared toward your situation.
Talk to your child about stressful events
If your child is having difficulty adjusting, try gently encouraging your child to talk about what he or she is going through. Many parents assume that talking about a difficult change, such as divorce, will make a child feel worse. But your child needs the opportunity to express feelings of grief and to hear your reassurance that you'll remain a constant source of love and support.
There are no guaranteed ways to prevent adjustment disorders. But developing healthy coping skills and learning to be resilient may help you during times of high stress.
If you know that a stressful situation is coming up — such as a move or retirement — call on your inner strength, increase your healthy habits and rally your social supports in advance. Remind yourself that this is usually time-limited and that you can get through it. Also consider checking in with your doctor or mental health professional to review healthy ways to manage your stress.
March 10, 2017
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- The road to resilience. American Psychological Association. http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx. Accessed Oct. 31, 2016.
- Fighting stress with healthy habits. American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/StressManagement/FightStressWithHealthyHabits/Fight-Stress-with-Healthy-Habits_UCM_307992_Article.jsp#.WBeRM2dTHRE. Accessed Oct. 31, 2016.
- Sawchuk CN (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 18, 2016.