Build Resilience

Build Resilience By Practicing Gratitude

We live in times of constant change. You can't run or hide from it. It's here to stay.

So what can you do?

You can work with change.

How? By maintaining your mental and physical well-being and taking intentional steps to build resilience.

What Is Resilience?

Resilience is how well you adapt to complex or ongoing change, and how well you bounce back from setbacks or challenges.

When we are faced with ambiguity or change, we will likely either envision opportunities or see obstacles to a better future.

Here's the good news:

You can build skills to become more resilient
You can develop these skills through practice; the more you practice, the more you will build your resiliency muscles
These new muscles will help you to see future change more as an opportunity than a barrier

How to Build Resilience

Be curious. Ask questions (to learn and grow, not to cross-examine). Explore new ideas, concepts, and ways of doing things. Consider that there is a lot you don't yet know, and consider learning as an adventure.
Try something new, or try doing something in a new way. Pay close attention to how you're feeling and be open to the possibilities. Maybe you feel trepidatious at first. But how do you feel once you are finished? Reflect with intention on what you gained from the new experience.
Leverage relationships with those you trust. Just as you might have a "workout partner," find a resiliency partner to take this journey with you, someone who will hold you accountable to building those resiliency muscles.
Change the lens you use to view the world and your experiences. When things don't go your way, or something unexpected happens, look for the opportunity that has arisen. Consider what you have gained or learned from the situation.
Stay in tune with your body. Ensure you're getting good sleep, eating well, and moving about.
Feed your soul. What is it that gives you the most joy? Make a plan to experience that.
Practice gratitude. Every day there is something that we can identify -- whether it is a person, an interaction, an experience, an object, or an opportunity -- that we appreciate or enjoy. Identifying and noting those things with intent is key to increasing happiness and joy in our lives, which helps us build long-term resiliency.

Practicing Gratitude

You can enhance your physical and mental well-being by bringing more joy, happiness, and appreciation for what "is" in your life.

One way this to do this is by practicing gratitude.

For decades, scientists have been studying how gratitude affects us. One of these studies led to a program that has helped thousands increase happiness and joy in their lives.

Here are some of the benefits people have gained from practicing gratitude:

Happiness increased, from 48% at the beginning of the program, to 67% after six months
Five months after the program ended, participants sustained their happiness
People noticed and experienced more good in their lives
Many participants got clearer about what they really wanted
People learned what brought them joy, and how to increase joy
The exercises raised participants' personal awareness and created a variety of meaningful insights
Many participants came to understand that they were responsible for creating their own happiness
The exercises were used as tools in dealing with difficulties
The morning exercises were instrumental in setting up a good day
Rituals were helpful in keeping up with the exercises

Click on "start here" to begin experiencing more gratitude and building your resilience muscles!

start here

What you need to do:

Commit to taking the Happiness Inventory (two times)
- Take the assessment once before you begin the program
- Take the assessment once around day 29 (or soon thereafter)
Commit to a 28 day program (6 days a week for 5 minutes each and on the 7th day, 20 minutes)
At the end of the 28 day cycle, there's a "month end" exercise to complete
Review the materials (below) and get started!

The stuff:

The Happiness Inventory - take the assessment prior to starting the program
The 28 day program (packet below)
Sample vision (a reference for the 28 day program 7th day exercise)

Questions? Check out the FAQs (below) before getting started.

28 day plan
File Size:	219 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

sample vision statements
File Size:	16 kb
File Type:	docx

Download File

PROGRAM FAQs

Do I need to take the assessment before beginning the program?
We ask that you do! It helps you to know where you started in your happiness level so you can measure progress.

Is there a limit to how many times I can take the assessment?
Nope! But don't overdo it, we suggest no more than a couple of times a year.

Can I continue the program after the 28 day cycle?
Of course! In fact, most people do.

Is it OK to skip days or exercises?
Although we can't make you do anything ;-) we strongly urge you to stick with it, throughout the entire 28 days. Give yourself the time you'll need in the morning to do the exercise.

How does the schedule work?
You'll spend about 5 minutes each morning during days 1-6 and about 20 minutes on the 7th day. We strongly urge you to do this in the morning, as the participants did in the study. Because the 7th day requires extra time, we suggest you start the program on a day that results in your 7th day being on non-work day (e.g. start on a Sunday or Monday if your days off are on the weekend). There is also an exercise that you will do on day 28, when the program ends.

Do I have to use the forms provided? Can I do the exercises in my head?
You can use the forms provided or a journal or any other paper based recording. We urge you to write (or type) it out, and not audio record or recite it to yourself. There's a certain commitment to putting something on paper (or in a computer document). There's a certain serenity -- and lack of possible intrusions -- to writing it by hand.

Coming up with three new (not-yet-listed) things that I have gratitude for is hard! Can I repeat?
A key element of the exercise is to do just that - search for new things each day that you feel gratitude towards. It can be people, places, things, events, interactions, circumstances (or anything else!). Let your mind settle down and it will come to you. It might be a person from a distant past you've forgotten about, an inanimate object that you're thankful for having, a happenstance that saved you from a bad outcome, etc. It can be anything! There are at least 84 things in your life that you have gratitude for! Don't limit or judge yourself, just write down what comes to mind.

Do I have to "do" the thing that I listed that brings me joy?
No. Certainly, it would be great to do so because you'll then likely experience joy, but you are not required to do "the one small thing."

The vision... that's hard! I'm not sure what to write about.
For the vision, you're literally writing a stream of consciousness for 15 minutes without judgment or parameters. This isn't "what might be" or "what would be if." This is a vision manifested if a "miracle" were to happen... or, if you waived a magic wand (or if a genie came out of a bottle, you get the point!).

Ok, ok. So it's not as easy for some as it is for others. There's a sample for you to use to get you started in your thinking.

Where did this program come from?
This program is based on the work of Jacqueline Kelm (The Joy of Appreciative Living), an appreciate inquiry practitioner.

Any other questions?
Contact Lisa