Below is a basic eight point template for developing your mental resilence. I use it as a handout for corporate talks that I give on this subject, enjoy!

Mental resilience defined – The ability to remain strong, directed and creative in the face of stressors induced by the contrasting experiences of  pleasure and pain, loss and gain, praise and blame, good reputation and bad reputation

Eight  factors  for developing mental resilience:

1. Keep your body relaxed – It is impossible to have a stressed out mind in a relaxed, well postured body!

2. Develop equanimity – The ability to remain centered in the face of the four above mentioned extremes of pleasure and pain, loss and gain etc…

3. Personal power – Make a habit of taking responsibility for the situations that you find yourself in and for the direction that your life is taking. Nothing saps our energy in life more than having a victim mentality.

4. Balance positive thinking with healthy realism – Always look for the best in any situation, whilst at the same time facing the real problems that have arisen, or the potential problems that may arise.

5. Plan, don’t worry – If you have something that is concerning you, plan a course of action to tackle the concern effectively. If you have made a plan and there is nothing further you can do about the situation (at the present time), them be mindful not to worry about it. Worry is a futile activity that by definition has no purpose other than to sap our mental and physical resilience.

6. See uncertainty as a creative opportunity – If everything in life was certain, then our experiences would be robotic and dead. Uncertainty is what makes room for our opportunities to grow and express ourselves. Thriving in uncertain spaces is essential for developing our mental resilience and for our overall personal growth.

7. Develop a healthy self-image and a thick skin- Learn not to rely on outside forces to feel good about who you are and what you are capable of.

8. Find role models – Seek out people who can help you develop your mental resilience.

© Toby Ouvry 2010, you are welcome to use this article, but you MUST seek Toby’s permission first. Contact info@tobyouvry.com