What many initially expected to be a two-week quarantine has spanned more than a year now. And we’re not out of the woods yet. So how do we keep going? Attitude and learnable skills are both core to resiliency, says Ryerson psychologist Diana Brecher, who shares some best practices on how to keep going.
Resilience defined
Think of resilience as how one bounces back from adversity, says Brecher. “Two people could have the same situation but their responses can be different, based on how they frame the experience, how mindful and optimistic they are, how they persevere through setbacks and the degree to which they forgive themselves for mistakes.”
Stay in touch
According to The National Social Life, Health and Aging Project, older individuals are doing just as well as before the pandemic, because they’ve managed to stay in touch with their friends and family through regular phone and video calls.
Go with the flow
Parents are stretched to the limit and need to find self-compassion while in this impossible situation. “Take breaks. Go for a walk. Give yourself a pass in terms of strict professionalism. No one is super human. Have compassion for yourself.”
Live with purpose and hope
Take your cue from frontline workers who turn to the meaning of their work to shore up resilience. Hope is having a positive expectation that things will work out. “Be grateful for what you’ve had in the past, what you have now and for what is to come. I am looking forward to and feel grateful for my first swim in a lake in two years, sometime this summer.”
The impact of the pandemic for the future
“We adapted to this circumstance, and hopefully, we’ll adapt to whatever happens going forward. We will be more resilient.”
