We are naturally resilient beings.
Somatic resilience is our ability to shift from states of hyper-vigilance and stress to a calmer, resourceful, and connected state. This shift helps us stay present and to see a brighter future. Resilience moves us toward strength, wholeness, possibility, and healing
Resilience also guides us through our most challenging moments in life.
There can be a subtle difference between resilience strategies and survival tactics. Resilience practices can prepare us to experience a fuller range of emotions and sensations. We practice feeling more alive, open and connected to what’s around us in contrast to some of our survival strategies like numbing out, distracting, distancing and staying unaware of what’s happening in our lives and bodies.
We practice resilience so that we can be in choice for when we are under stress. Rather than just our automatic reactions to discomfort, we can stay present a bit more each time.
Powerful resilience practices can include: helping others, connecting to our imagination and creativity, shared collective experience, and a connection to something greater than ourselves.
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Here are some simple ways to practice your resilience
- Take a mindful walk in nature or around the block. Notice beauty, allow yourself to be in wonder, awestruck even, of what you take in.
- Sit in the sun, feeling the calm and slowness. Take in all of the senses: the warmth, the color of the sky, the visual you have for this moment, the smells, the sounds.
- Create a moment to hug, reach our or connect with a loved one. Open to the uplift and warmth that connection can bring in its simplicity.
- Find joy, contentment, delight in music or art. How does it move you inside and out? How can you feel the experience of this artist through their work?
More about resilience vs. survival strategies
Survival strategies, while often necessary and effective, can leave us feeling numb, tense, and detached. Although these tactics might feel familiar or “safe,” they often disconnect us, restrict our actions and interactions, and make us feel less complete.
We might have needed these strategies to buffer from overwhelm or discomfort that we’re feeling by numbing out or distracting ourselves from what’s really happening. Numbing out might be social media, Netflix all night, binging on an indulgence of choice, isolating ourselves, avoidance of something we know is important.
We all have our things that we do!
We can start to notice these strategies with compassion, softness and a check in: Hey, I’m doing this thing.
What am I feeling right now? Can I pause for just a moment here?
When we see that we are longing for change, it’s not helpful or easy to just remove an old strategy for how we’ve handled challenging moments. We can’t force change or override a program we have running.
We must acknowledge what this strategy has skillfully taken care of for us, perhaps for a long, long time. Self-compassion is so important here. We are all so human. Then slowly, maybe in 1 degree shifts, we can start to turn to intentional practices that help us foster our inner joy, well-being and connection to self and others.
- What are your own practices that bring you joy?
- How will you connect with yourself today?
-Resource: Resilience: A Somatic Definition -Staci K. Haines with generative somatics