Introduction
If you have been keeping up with national and global news lately, chances are you are feeling overwhelmed. For many, there is a tendency to shut down in the face of these destabilizing conditions. Our nervous systems become over-stimulated by processing the constant flow of information while trying to keep ourselves afloat. While the horrors persist, so do our daily responsibilities. We continue on with our tasks; work, file taxes, clean, cook, care for our loved ones, etc… Often navigating the world on autopilot, feeling disconnected from ourselves and others.
I want to emphasize that this is a normal reaction to conditions that are oppressive. Feeling compassion, fear, and uncertainty towards current events is not inherently bad or something to push away. I would argue that it is a strength to have empathy for the suffering of the world that we have been witness to. These feelings are often trying to tell us something and I encourage you to listen.
Our bodies are designed to keep us safe, and unfortunately capitalism has conditioned us to ignore them. We are often gaslighted by people in power into pushing ourselves past our limits to avoid being deemed lazy or uncooperative. This can lead to us feeling stuck in survival mode with little reprieve or room for joy.
We can resist this cycle by holding space for our emotions, and focusing on cultivating resilience and renewal.
What is resilience and renewal
Let’s take a moment to reflect on the definitions of the terms “resilience” and “renewal”.
Resilience is defined by Oxford English Dictionary as “The capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties”. From a therapist perspective, I see resilience as understanding and working towards expanding your window of distress tolerance. The human stress response typically results in either hypo-arousal or hyper-arousal. A state of hypo-arousal is characterized by withdrawal, dissociation, fatigue, and numbness. Hyper-arousal is characterized by irritability, hypervigilance, anxiety, and panic. Your window of distress tolerance is your ideal level of arousal and stimulation that allows you to regulate your emotions and manage stressors. This is characterized by feelings of calm, focus, and connectedness.
Renewal is defined as “The replacing or repair of something that is worn-out, run-down, or broken”. To re-iterate my earlier sentiment and challenge the engrained capitalist mindsets, we are not broken for feeling worn-out or run-down. However, our approaches to managing our distress may be. Many find it helpful to work towards replacing the external and internal systems that harm us. And we may benefit from repairing our relationships with ourselves, other beings, and the world around us. From a therapeutic lens, renewal is an ongoing process of building tools that bring us back inside our window of tolerance.
What is the connection between resilience and renewal?
Renewal breeds resilience. Renewal is the path towards cultivating and maintaining resilience. Renewal is building coping skills, resting, and basic maintenance. Resilience is the ability to shift ourselves from survival mode to thriving, thus expanding our window of distress tolerance. Building resilience means that we have built trust within ourselves to withstand hardship. This does NOT mean that we are void of anxiety, and that we have fully accepted all of our circumstances. It means that we are listening to ourselves, that we understand our needs, and that we are holding onto hope.
What are some ways to practice renewal and build resilience?
Now that we understand what resilience and renewal are, let’s explore ways in which we can cultivate them.
- Go back to basics:
Have you gotten enough sleep this week? Are you eating throughout the day? Did you drink enough water? These may seem like arbitrary questions, but it is important to check in with yourself regularly about your general wellness. It may be helpful to make one small lifestyle change at a time. Again, we’re challenging the “go big or go home” mindset. It may be exciting to re-vamp your entire wellness routine at once, but we want to set ourselves up for success with realistic goals. Take one baby step today, and another one tomorrow.
- Commit to meaningful action:
Explore what brings you a sense of purpose and fulfillment and focus on that. Organize with others to improve conditions for yourself and your community. It can be helpful to reflect on your strengths and passions to find where your focus lies. Remember that this is not about having an immediate large impact, but to take small steps in the right direction.
- Connect with community:
Prioritize community care. This may look like checking in with friends and family and offering support where needed. Familiarize yourself with your community resources. Seek opportunities to volunteer and participate in local mutual aid. Focus on the world you can touch.
- Prioritize joy:
Regularly schedule activities that help you connect with your happiness and playfulness. Re-engage with hobbies that you have not connected with in a while. Give yourself permission to be present with and fully experience pleasure.
- Keep hope alive:
Challenge your negative and pessimistic thoughts. Set goals and identify concrete steps towards achieving them. Envision the outcome. We already know what we are moving away from. Focus on what you are moving towards.
Conclusion
Our despair can be a great teacher when we allow it in and truly listen to it. With intention, we may learn to withstand ambiguity, renew hope, and build collective resilience. May we seek and create opportunities to empower ourselves and others towards building a brighter future.
Sources
https://www.nicabm.com/trauma-how-to-help-your-clients-understand-their-window-of-tolerance/
https://www.apa.org/topics/resilience/building-your-resilience