Resilience Materials
40 Ways to Bounce Back
When you are feeling low and need a boost here is a selection of tips that will help you to bounce back and be more resilient and positive about your life.
1. List all your accomplishments
Sometimes you just need to remember all the positive things that you have achieved in your life so making a list to remind yourself will give you a confidence boost.
2. Do ten minutes of exercise
Just a quick ten minutes of exercise. Even a quick run up and down stairs, or standing up and stretching and walking about for a bit, will give you an energy boost and get the endorphins going.
3. Find something to give away
If you have something you don’t need or use, and it might be something someone else might need or use, give it to them. It will make you feel good.
4. Lift someone else’s spirits
You can turn around bad feelings about yourself right away when you channel your energy into making someone feel good about themselves by doing or saying something nice.
5. Phone a friend
Who needs a psychiatrist when you have friends? Friends can be walking, talking tonics and remind you that you are not alone!
6. Write down a goal
Hope is a very important part of being resilient, so set goals and have something to aim for. If you are feeling a bit low, think of something that would like to achieve and create a goal.
7. Relive your best memory
Focus on a wonderful, happy memory and take a few minutes to dwell on it. Go through all of the details and relive the experience in your mind and see how good it makes you feel.
8. Smile
Just the very act of smiling tells your brain that you are happy. So, no matter how you feel, focus on turning the corners of your mouth up and smile.
9. Turn off your computer and connect
Go and find a living, breathing person and interact with them. Just connecting with another person will help you to feel less isolated and they may say something nice to you that will make you feel better.
10. Let someone else decide
Relinquish responsibility to someone else every now and then. If you feel under pressure, sometimes it is good to take the heat out of the situation and let someone else make the decision for you. You don’t always have to be in total control!
11. Listen to your self-talk
Stop and really listen to what you are saying to yourself. Be a detached observer and change your words to words of loving kindness.
12. Make an effort
Get dressed up even if you are feeling really low. Although it may feel like a huge effort it will be worthwhile because when you look in the mirror and see an attractive person on the outside you will begin to feel better on the inside.
13. Choose healthy
If you are feeling low, choose to have a healthy day. Eat lots of things you know will boost your energy and eliminate all the toxins.
14. Do something a bit radical
Shake things up a bit and change your routine. Try something different that makes you feel more like a mover and shaker. It will also get you out of any rut you may find yourself in.
15. Create a blog and share some wisdom
Your life experiences will have taught you lots of things, and sharing what you have learnt with others can be useful. Blogging is also a great way to record some of your thoughts, like a public diary.
16. Read something uplifting
To divert your mind from negative thinking, look for something that will inspire and uplift you. Short passages of writing and motivational quotes can be really good.
17. Surprise someone else
Think of something fun and unexpected for someone that you care about. Planning this will lift your spirits and distract you from feeling gloomy.
18. Make things simple
Taking something that appears to be complicated and simplifying it can be very therapeutic. Often things are far more complex than they really need to be.
19. Heal a rift
If you developed a rift with someone, even if you don’t feel you are at fault, extend the olive branch and open yourself to healing the rift. Life is too short!
20. Be a mentor
Be that person for someone in your life who could really use your guidance and advice.
21. Make time for family and friends
In the end, what is more important? Make sure that you invest time, every single day, connecting with the people you love through your time, love, and attention.
22. Put yourself first
Make sure you look after yourself so that you have enough energy for others. So often it is easy to run around trying to be everything to everybody and neglect your own needs. Make sure that you take time each day for you to relax and just be.
23. Learn to say no
Avoid being bullied or shamed into doing something you do not want to do. Do not be afraid of saying no thank you.
24. Learn to say yes
Open yourself up to new opportunities and experiences, to new friends and doing things spontaneously. There are so many adventures that you still have yet to embrace.
25. Rest for ten minutes
Stop and rest. Take ten minutes to do absolutely nothing. Close your eyes and allow yourself to just be in the moment. Cat napping can work wonders!
26. Breathe deeply
Learn a proper breathing technique and take time each day, especially if you feel stressed, to focus on your breathing. It is healing for the body and mind.
27. Get a mini massage
Ask someone you feel comfortable with to massage your shoulders. A loving touch will remind you that you are connected to others and that your physical happiness is important.
28. Be present right now
Stop dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. Focus on the here and now. See it. Hear it. Feel it. Taste it. Touch it. Sense it in every way that you can.
29. Pay a bill
If you have outstanding bills that need to be paid then sort it out now. The energy and stress of them hanging over your head will pull you into a hole and you will feel better once it is done.
30. Watch a funny film
Watching an uplifting and funny film or show is a good way to pick your spirits up and absorb you in something a bit lighthearted for a while. There is nothing wrong with a little bit of escapism.
31. Listen to uplifting music
There are some great pieces of music and songs that can really make you feel better. Songs that you can sing along to with positive lyrics work really well.
32. Drink water
Drink a large glass of water. This will rehydrate you, will flush out all the unwanted toxins and give you more energy.
33. Take the first steps
When you feel overwhelmed, remember every journey begins with the first step. Break it down. Start in a small way, one step at a time and carry on.
34. Keep a thought journal
A good way to release anxieties and worries is to write them down. This will help you to be able to put them into perspective and tangibly take hold of what is worrying you and work out how you can turn it around.
35. Have a nice cup of tea
A nice cup of chamomile tea with a tiny bit of honey can be very comforting. Sit quietly and sip your tea and just enjoy the experience which will be pleasant and soothing.
36. Plan a party
Parties are fun and people like people who organize parties. It doesn’t have to be a huge affair. Just get fun people together for a drink or a meal or a picnic.
37. Look upwards and outwards
When you feel down it is usually where you will be looking! So lift your head up and look upwards and outwards. Noticing the world and everything around you will make you feel ten times better.
38. Compliment someone
Just say something nice to someone that you notice about them. Make someone else’s day with your words, and it will make yours.
39. Plan your day
This is something that works so well. Plan and prioritize three things that you know you want to achieve. Plan them in the morning or the night before and see what you have accomplished each day. This will make you feel very positive and give you a great big boost.
40. Do highlights
At the end of the day identify three things that were the best bits of your day. Share them with your partner, family or friends or just record them in a diary. Doing this before you go to sleep will help you to feel better about yourself and your life in general and will help you to be more positive and resilient.