What does it mean to be resilient? Being resilient is a skill, an art if you must, that allows you to stay strong when facing a major obstacle in your life. It means that even when you fail, you will stay on your feet. We are all bound to face many difficulties in our lives, but one of the hardest ones we can face is having a loved one locked up in prison. Having a loved one in prison hurts. It hurts you, your family, friends, and other loved ones. During their incarceration, you will want to give up, you will want to look at life through a negative lens but you must not. You must learn to be resilient and here’s how:
Stay Optimistic:
Being optimistic, or resilient in general, is easier said than done. However, remaining optimistic and keeping a positive outlook on life is a crucial part of being resilient. Understand your pain is temporary, that the bad feelings you have will not last forever. Remind yourself constantly that you will make it through this and there is a bright future ahead of you.
Believe in Yourself:
Similar to staying optimistic, believing in yourself is every bit as crucial to practicing the art of being resilient. In other words, have confidence in yourself. Don’t just tell yourself, “I will make it through my struggles,” rather, tell yourself exactly why you’re going to make it through these tough times. You are strong, you are a warrior, you resilient. You have probably heard the saying, “confidence is everything.” Well, you heard correctly.
Don't Fear Failure:
The fear of failure is real. The fear that the pain you are feeling while your loved one is locked up may never end is real. However, you must face these fears head-on. Addressing our fears makes us feel unsafe because we are afraid that we will fail, but this mindset couldn’t be more wrong. Failure is part of life. Failure, as a matter of fact, is one of the best ways we can grow. When we fail, we have two choices: let it define us or learn from it. Choose the latter, choose to stand up to failure, choose to become resilient.
Take Care of Yourself:
Knowing how to take care of yourself and when you have pushed your limits enough is not only a key part of being resilient but a key way of improving your mental health. Make a promise to yourself right now, at this very moment, that you will take care of yourself. That you will love yourself and give your body what it needs to be happy and healthy. This means eating right, sleeping a healthy amount, exercising, relaxing when needed, practicing self-love, and all of the other ways you can think of to take care of yourself. To be resilient, you need your body on your side. Don’t make your struggles more challenging by neglecting your body.
Resiliency is crucial to getting through your loved one’s incarceration. Negative thoughts are going to try to find their way into your mind. You will want to do things the easy way, rather than the hard way. You’re going to wonder if this pain will ever end. However, you’re resilient. You are going to practice resiliency daily. Failure will occur, but you will face failure head-on. You’re a warrior. You’re a fighter. Your loved one in prison, your family, and friends at home all need you. Stay strong, you’ve got this!