Updated: Oct 27, 2020
There's no doubt that the effects of Covid-19 have been catastrophic. We've amassed around forty-four thousand deaths in the UK alone and close to a quarter of a million people have been made redundant here. People are grieving for lost loved ones, loss of connection with family and friends, loss of safety/security, loss of their 'normal' everyday lives...
It feels like the entire world has been drowned by a wave of uncertainty... and there's no end in sight. Yet. So how do we cope? What practical steps can we take emotionally to navigate our way through life's unusually choppy waters?
This is where we can turn to the study of 'Resilience' for ideas. Resilience is defined as "the ability of a person to adjust to or recover readily from illness, adversity, major life changes". In a pandemic-ridden world, resilience has become a critical life-skill.
I recently watched a thought-provoking (and at times tear-jerking) TED Talk presented by resilience researcher, Lucy Hone, and her messages really resonated with me. She described three key strategies that enabled her to adapt to life after the death of her 12 year old daughter. They all make a great deal of sense:
Accept that suffering is part of life and it happens to everyone - it's nothing personal
Be careful where you focus your attention - deliberately hunt out the good stuff and when life throws you the bad stuff, look for the elements you can control and change
Repeatedly ask yourself: "Is what I'm doing helping or harming me?" - this puts you back in control over your decision-making
Alongside these nuggets of wisdom, she also reminds us that resilience isn't a fixed trait that some people have and some don't. It's something we can all learn to do, to help us get through difficult times.
So, why not give her tips a go - there's nothing to lose and they might just help you get through the tough times ahead.
And if you feel you need some extra support with finding the stronger, more resilient version of 'you', do get in touch - I'd love to help...
Oh.. by the way... if you'd like to see the whole thing, you can watch it here (but you might like a hankie on standby):