Resources for Reflection & Resilience
BUILDING RESILIENCE FOR BETTER HEALTH AND WELL-BEING: AN EXAMPLE DAY-BY-DAY GUIDE
by Dr. Jen Hartmark-Hill
Like all healthy practices, prevention and maintenance over time are key. Changes, especially to longstanding habits, can be challenging to make, but may be more approachable by 1) identification of clear motivations and benefits of the change, and 2) small incremental steps towards goals, with frequent celebration of small wins, and self-compassion for setbacks. Here is one example of how goals might be clarified and resilience built over time, using a daily reminder guide.
Mindfulness Mondays: An opportunity to set clear intentions for the week – both in terms of achievement goals and how to be in authentic relationships with one other.
Leadership is influence. What impact might you have for the better? What opportunities will you have to spread kindness, compassion and encouragement this week? Write down your intentions or log them into your phone to reference and reflect upon the rest of the week.
Free apps that can serve as tool to promote mindfulness (and a good night’s sleep) include Headspace™. Synergistically, Evernote™ is an easily customizable app for goal-setting and reminders.
Motivational Tuesdays: Once you have your goals for the week, create a bite-sized next step for which to hold yourself accountable on Tuesdays.
Behavioral research shows that challenging goals that are subdivided into smaller, more easily achievable steps can increase motivation and persistence, for the rest of the week and in the long run.
Wellness Wednesdays: Whole person wellness is needed to be effective as leaders and supportive as team members. Emotional intelligence, employed to help self-regulate and foster healthy relationships, in concert with movement/exercise, nutrition and good sleep habits is key.
Wellness Toolkits, such as that curated by the National Institute for Health, are supported by solid scientific evidence and readily accessible.
Gratitude Thursdays: The practice of gratitude and compassion have tremendous benefits on health and wellness, for ourselves and those around us. With some perspective-taking and reflection, there is much to be thankful for, even in times of change and challenge. Both compassion and gratitude build resilience and support a growth-mindset.
Consider taking a moment at the beginning or end of each day to reflect on (and write down) one to three things you are grateful for regarding that day, or consider a gratitude practice app such as Bliss or a number of other options to fit your needs.
Fun Fridays: While stress can drive maladaptive responses, maintaining awareness and instead setting aside time for play, laughter and joy to enhance whole-person health.
The Greater Good Science Center Monthly Happiness Calendar might have just what you need on Fridays and other days of the week!
Self-Care Saturdays and Sundays: Take a mental/physical/emotional/spiritual inventory of where you may need some good preventative whole person health maintenance and make time to care for yourself before the start of a new week.
Consider engaging in a Self-Compassion Practice to treat yourself with kindness and encouragement, as research shows many health benefits, as well as boosting our abilities to be there for others in an authentically compassionate way.
