Resilience in an Age of Uncertainty
Given that we are facing the COVID-19 pandemic as a nation and global community, it is time to address a pressing question: How do we become resilient when adversity is upon us and we are unprepared? No one has all the answers, yet here are five critical ideas, or 5-Cs, you can personally put into practice immediately:

•  Calm Yourself: Overstimulated minds with information overload do not function optimally. You may have heard the adage about putting on your oxygen mask first so you can help others in an airline emergency. Prioritizing your well-being is essential now. Mindfulness of your own experience is a first step to establishing mental space so you can focus on developing a plan of action. The advice that says to “breathe” actually has a physiological basis. Deep, abdominal breathing massages the vagus nerve, which coaxes your parasympathetic nervous system into the relaxation response. To learn more about this phenomenon, see https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201705/diaphragmatic-breathing-exercises-and-your-vagus-nerve.  Mindfulness of your breath and body helps you catch yourself before you overreact. By short-circuiting an impulsive reaction, you can think and respond in ways that help not harm yourself and others. A small notebook or journal can help you become mindful of your moods and enable you to work through frustrations. These notebooks and journals will become treasure troves of adaptive strategies when you face adversity in the future. To learn about beginning journaling see; https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shyness-is-nice/201404/how-keep-thought-diary-combat-anxiety.
• Constitutional Care: No matter what stage you are in your life, when faced with long spans of unplanned time off, you may find that it is all too easy to lose track of your time and goals. This may result in feeling unmoored and drifting. Yes, take some time to regenerate your batteries while setting up a structure for your life – routines you can count on to give you a sense of purpose. Use this time for projects you have put on the back burner. On the other hand, burnout is a very real risk during times like this, especially if you are a caregiver. The oxygen mask metaphor applies again. You cannot help others if your well-being is at risk. You will be in better position to support others and recover your health, should something occur, when you have practiced regular self-care. Your own physical constitution is the foundation of immunity. Honor yourself by establishing daily routines for getting enough sleep, eating nourishing food, engaging in exercise for strength and balance. Get better sleep by implementing a bedtime ritual for slowing down from the day, like showering or listening to relaxing music. Plan your meals with balanced nutrition in mind and cook/freeze ahead to ease the stress of throwing something together at the last minute. Make exercise a self-care habit by making it fun. Keep it simple by taking your dog for a rigorous walk. Kick up your routine by a few notches with favorite tunes. Start a yoga or Pilates routine. If you would like to try a yoga routine at home, see https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/yoga-sequence-help-commit-daily-practice#gid=ci020756ab60152620&pid=cat-cow-pose.
• Connect with Others: Let’s dispel the myth that we must be self-reliant and solve our problems solo. Pandemics pose unique problems like health and financial stressors for individuals, yet pandemics are public health issues too. Individual problems cascade through society and are interrelated to the overall public well-being. As part of society, we are interconnected and interdependent through our communities and social systems. Just like you, others are experiencing similar worries, as well as their own unique set of problems. Going it alone to reinvent solutions is inefficient and unnecessarily painful. Reach out to your support system, being mindful to everyone’s safety – family, friends, communities, experts, and government representatives, especially those whom you find constructive and helpful. Stay connected through virtual means whether email, texting, video chats, and teleconferences. When social networking, keep it positive and useful. Venting occasionally may be cathartic, but limit it to a few minutes a day. Do not allow yourself to be engulfed in a vortex of negativity, which adversely affects your mental health. For more about how relationships can help you weather crises see https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/lets-reconnect/201804/are-we-biologically-wired-help-others-during-crisis.
• Create Conditions for Problem Solving: No doubt, this pandemic will be catastrophic for many people. However, avoid catastrophizing as it is counterproductive to finding solutions that can reduce pain and improve outcomes. Wayne Dyer has said, “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” Shifting perspective can help you move out of the paralysis of panic toward problem solving. You can start shifting your perspective by creating conditions for constructive thought by tapping your resources. What enables you to be a creative thinker? What opens your vision to possibilities? It might be putting on some inspiring music, sitting down with a pen and paper, and brainstorming ideas. It may be burning off energy by running or dancing then using that flow to design a Mind Map of possibilities through an online tool like Coggle, see: https://coggle.it/. Try design thinking, see https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/design-thinking-explained. Another option is to press your critical thinking skills into service, see https://www.essentiallifeskills.net/thinkcritically.html.
• Conceptualize Success: Think back to when you successfully overcame an obstacle in your life or career. Reflect upon what went well, what did not go well, and what you would change. What skills did you call upon to overcome the obstacle? Write these ideas and thoughts in your journal. What can you draw upon that applies to your current dilemma? Did you reach out for certain resources or do research of your options? Whom did you call upon to help you? Do you know someone who has been in a similar situation and came through it well? If you have succeeded in dealing with a variety of challenges in the past, have confidence that you can do it again by identifying the relevant skills you used and modifying them for your current situation. Keep in mind, you can adjust your strategies along the way with different tactics. In your mind’s eye, visualize success. What does that look like to you? Hold that image in your mind and make it tangible with a drawing, diagram, or storyboard. Post it in visible place in your workspace. If you have children, involve them in the project and post it in a readily seen location in your home, like your kitchen. Creative visualization is a helpful technique, see https://www.newworldlibrary.com/Blog/tabid/767/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/35/Four-Basic-Steps-for-Effective-Creative-Visualization.aspx. Be sure to set up ways to hold yourself accountable, such as regular check-ins with a colleague, friend, or family member. Accountability incentivizes you to take action toward manifesting your vision – a key to success.

The 5-Cs - Calm, Connect, Create Conditions, Conceptualize, and Constitutional Care provide a solid foundation for building your resilience during uncertain times like these. Use these techniques to start your journey toward greater confidence and thriving despite chaos. Know in your heart that we are all in this together. Stay well!

You’ve likely seen the use of ∞ as a sign of infinity or eternity in mathematics, science, and elsewhere. The use of this symbol relative to resilience is evocative of the Adaptive Cycle researched and developed by Lance Gunderson and C.S. “Buzz” Holling, published in Panarchy: Understanding Transformations in Human and Natural Systems (2002). Their model illustrates the cycle of adaptation as exploitation, conservation, release, and reorganization. My group development research drew parallels with this model extending it through principles of complexity – self-organization, hierarchy, emergence, and learning. This forms the foundation of learned resilience. Be sure to check out the blog and future newsletters for more details about how this cycle applies to you and your life.

Be sure to check out the just added newsletter section of the website. The first issue of the Learned Resilience Newsletter is hot off the keyboard! This newsletter will be published monthly to update you about current workshops, events, publications, and resources, as well as give you an inspirational boost.  Just click on the Newsletter tab to download the latest issue.  Enjoy!