Thriving YOU: Building Emotional Resilience in Difficult Times

Dearest WonderPeople! Lately I’ve been getting a lot of questions about self-care and building emotional resilience in these turbulent times. Here are some of my thoughts on the topic:

Now and then, times are tough and you are a WonderPerson who REALLY CARES. There is this constant battle between desire to stay informed, active, on top of things, and sheer panic over emotional overload, fatigue, pain, and hopelessness. Staying informed is great, but sometimes we all need a break, little oasis of self-care and nurture. You already know that you are an engaged, informed, and compassionate member of this human race. Allow yourself to stay sane by unplugging, not engaging, grieving, nurturing wounds, regrouping, reconnecting with self-care and your resilient self. When you are ready, try making some strides in creating a preventative and sustainable emotional resilience building plan. The plan consists of 3 powerful actions:

1. Self-Care and Escape Activities. Hello, bubble baths. massages, getaways, shopping, binge watching Netflix, and doing absolutely nothing with your fur babies. Okay, sometimes I try to squeeze a yoga or a spin class here and there too-you know, since my body is a temple and all.

2. Creating/Finding Life Purpose Activities. Oh, so you want to finish writing that book, go back to school, create a new platform that will keep people more politically engaged, take a sabbatical to be with your kids? Now is your time, you Rockstar, you! Vision boards, journaling, meditation, reading, getting inspired by work of others-are some starting points on finding that elusive life purpose.

3. Building and Nurturing Your Support Group Activities. Peer support groups and organizing around a cause have proven to be most successful way to address the problem at hand and feeling heard. Also, there is therapy, medication, your tribe, getting vulnerable and making new connections.

All of these build up your resilience systems, thus helping you to be a more effective (to yourself and others) agent of change. For more ideas on how to self-care, find your life purpose, and build support groups, check out my Self Care Wheel-the tool containing 88 activities to build up your emotional resilience in these challenging times. For information on Thriving YOU! trainings or webinars for you and your staff, please go to www.olgaphoenix.com. Please comment on what helps you build your emotional resilience and if you have a suggestion/advice for your fellow WonderPeople.

As always, looking forward to hearing from you and in deep gratitude, Olga.