Resilience

How wonderful has it been to see the smiling faces of our students back over the last week. Over the time of isolation I have been reflecting on the following thoughts:

You’ve heard the word resilience, but maybe you’ve never really thought about what it means. I heard recently it being described as the ability to ‘struggle well’. We are more apt to thrive when we embrace the life lessons in our challenges, examining with curiosity, the patterns in our struggles. 

We can cope...with the knowledge and hope that we have in Jesus.

Maybe like me you have been able to use this time to do a few things we normally don’t prioritise:

REFLECTION

For me this time has been a time to reflect on what I am doing well. It may not feel like during this time you have had many successes each day. The questions I often reflected on was: What does success look like for me today? You may have felt lost or hopeless at times. But, if you have spent some time each day reflecting on the small victories you’ll have found that you’re making it work.

BEING GRATEFUL

Aside from celebrating the small accomplishments, maybe you have been able to recognise things for which you are grateful for over this time and now that we are partly out of lockdown. Have you been able to see some family or friends?

COMMITTED TO SELF-CARE

Self-care doesn’t mean you should take a bubble bath or get a massage. It means you should do the things that bring you joy and give you energy. Over this time I have really loved being able to cook more. Maybe you have loved exercising or playing an instrument? You may have found that you had more time for you to focus on things you’re passionate about or have had a chance to start something new.

BEING PRODUCTIVE

Even though each day I may not have accomplished all the things on my ‘to do’ list, during this time I was making sure that I was getting done what I could so I could feel a sense of purpose each day. It was a reminder not to push myself beyond my limits. 

GIVE YOURSELF AND OTHERS GRACE

The main thing I have learnt during all of this—is to give myself a break. I often ask myself the question,  "Am I doing the best you can with the situation at hand?" 

Putting pressure on myself to ‘do better’ can make these challenging times even more difficult. 

So my encouragement for you is to make sure you give grace to those who may be having a hard time being productive while juggling various challenges of their own situation. 

Everyone manages stress differently. None of us knows what the other person is going through, so be kind.

Can I challenge you to give yourself some time this week to reflect on how you can put these ideas into practice.