What Is Mental Health Resilience?

Mental health and mental health resilience are extremely important parts of your overall wellness. Your mental health includes how you are doing emotionally and psychologically. It can also be affected by the social connections that you have or whether or not you feel fulfilled in your relationships. Mental health not only affects our thoughts and feelings, but it can also have a significant impact on how we behave and even on our physical health. 

Our mental health is particularly important in shaping our response to change and stress. Everybody experiences ups and downs in their lives. How you handle these ups and downs is influenced by a variety of factors, including mental health. Your ability to handle any challenging event that comes your way is known as your mental health resilience.

What Is Mental Health Resilience?

Mental health resiliency is your ability to cope with stress and solve problems as they arise. Physical resilience would help you be less susceptible to illness or injury and help you heal faster if you did face a physical challenge. Mental health resilience works in similar ways, allowing you to face adversity in your life without any long-term negative effects.

Having strong mental health resilience means you have the strength and confidence in yourself to rebound from challenges like the loss of a job or the death of a loved one. You may experience a range of emotions, such as anger or grief, but you are able to keep up with your normal routines and responsibilities. If you would like to develop more resilience, there are things you can do to build that inner strength.

How to Build Mental Health Resilience

Building mental health resilience can be quite similar to boosting your mental health. First and foremost, you should always make sure that your physical needs are taken care of. Your mental health may decline if you are not giving your body what it needs. This means eating a balanced diet with a variety of nutritious foods. Make sure you are getting physical exercise on a regular basis and drinking plenty of water.

There are many other factors that can strengthen your mental health resilience. In order to develop coping skills and the inner strength to handle adversity, there are certain things that you can pay attention to and decide to work on. This can include a close examination of your mindfulness, prosocial activities, social connections, and your general optimism or gratitude.

1. Mindfulness: The ability to be aware and present in the moment can help you build mental health resiliency as well. When you can recognize your thoughts and feelings in response to situations and let yourself have the distance to discard unhelpful thoughts, you can gain more control over how you choose to react. This can help you bounce back from negative situations more quickly.
2. Prosocial activities: Participating in activities where you are being selfless in an effort to help other people has been shown to increase empathy levels and build resilience. When you volunteer your time in these kinds of activities, you are expanding your worldview and recognizing that you are part of something bigger than yourself.
3. Social connections: Having strong social connections you can rely on when facing challenges can be very impactful. Healthy relationships that you can rely on is important for overall wellness and can help you get through tough times. 
4. Optimism and gratitude: When you can cultivate an optimistic attitude in your daily life and focus on the positives, it can build your mental health resilience considerably. By recognizing good things and expecting favorable outcomes, you will become more able to solve problems and cope with stress.

What if You Need Extra Support?

Building mental health resilience does not happen overnight. It can take time and patience to find the coping skills and lifestyle habits that will work best for you. Mental health resilience is a personal journey of self-discovery and self-reliance. If you find that you are struggling or have questions about your mental health or mental health resilience, it can be extremely beneficial to seek support from a mental health professional. 

A mental health professional can help guide you through the process of becoming more resilient. They can help you identify your strengths and help you set goals for areas you want to improve. Sometimes an outside perspective can be very clarifying and helpful.

At Alter Wellness Care, we understand that each of our clients is a wonderfully unique individual that deserves high-quality and compassionate care. We know that treatment cannot be effective if it is not personalized. Our individualized treatment plans are developed to provide you with the resources and support that will fit your needs and help you achieve your ultimate goals. 

Having positive mental health can be a significant factor in your overall sense of well-being. Your ability to handle any situation that comes up with strength and confidence is vital. This ability is known as mental health resilience. Your mental health resilience can affect various aspects of your life, including your response to change, your ability to cope with stress, and how quickly you can bounce back from negative experiences. At Alter Wellness Care, we understand how important it is to maintain positive mental health and build mental health resilience. Call us today at (866) 311-3510 to find out how our resources can help you develop the skills you need for success.