Building resilience and staying strong through tough times

Life isn’t always a smooth ride. Between health scares, bills and economic uncertainty, it can feel overwhelming. But these challenges are part of life, and that’s okay. Learning how to stay strong and build mental toughness may help people bounce back when things get tough. This article breaks down practical strategies to help readers start developing resilience today.

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What is mental resilience and why is it important?

Psychologists define resilience as the process of adapting well in different scenarios. This may include how to handle tough situations like trauma and loss or stress from family, health, money or work.

But resilience isn’t just about “bouncing back” after something bad happens. It can also mean growing from the experience. People can come out stronger, wiser or more self-aware than before.

And resilience isn’t something like a rare personality trait; it can be a learned behavior. It’s made up of thoughts, behaviors and actions that can be cultivated over time. But like building any muscle, it takes effort and practice.

17 ways for people to help build mental resilience

Resilience can be strengthened with intention and practice. The following 17 strategies offer practical ways to help adapt, recover and grow.

1. Making relationships and connections a priority

Strong, supportive relationships help people feel less alone during tough times. Even small moments of genuine connection, like a chat with a friend or a date night, can help make a difference. People can lean on those who care.

2. Thinking of stress as something manageable

People who view stress as manageable may change how people respond to it.  People who think potentially threating events are less threatening may help to manage their response to the event.

3. Considering tough tasks as challenges, not threats

People can build resilience by viewing stress as a challenge instead of something to fear. This reframing makes dealing with problems a time to grow or learn. As a result, positive emotions like excitement, motivation or even happiness can replace fear. This mindset helps people manage emotions better and recover faster.

4. Joining a group

People can consider getting involved in groups. These can be sports or hobby groups, civic clubs, faith communities or volunteer organizations. These connections can help to make a big difference by offering support and a sense of purpose. They also may help to provide hope during tough times.

5. Taking time for self-care

It’s important to eat well-balanced meals, get enough sleep, stay hydrated and exercise regularly. These healthy habits can help support the body so it can better adapt to stress. They may also help reduce the emotional toll of challenges like anxiety and depression.

6. Practicing mindfulness

Journaling, yoga, prayer or meditation may help with emotional stability and hopefulness. Focusing on gratitude and the positive parts of life, even during tough times, may help people stay resilient.

7. Helping others

Volunteering or supporting others can help to create a sense of purpose and boosts self-worth. This may help people feel more confident and motivated. It also may help to strengthen social connections. These connections can help to offer support during tough times. And they make it easier to bounce back from challenges.

8. Embracing and accepting all emotions

No feeling is ever wrong or something to just “get over.” As Dr. Anita Everett of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) said, “It’s okay to not be okay.” It’s important for people accept their emotions and let themselves feel them instead of ignoring them. When someone tries to push away feelings like anger, sadness or grief, those feelings often come back even stronger. By allowing emotions to be felt without judging them, people can heal and move forward better. At the same time, it’s okay for people to feel happy or joyful, even during tough times. Accepting all feelings helps people handle stress better and makes room for good moments, too.

9. Expressing and communicating feelings

People should express and communicate their feelings in whatever ways they feel comfortable with. This can be talking with family or friends, writing in a journal or doing creative activities like drawing or molding clay. Expressing emotions in healthy ways helps people build better emotional well-being, reduce stress and improve their mental health.

10. Laughing a little

People often say, “Laughter is the best medicine,” and science shows that’s actually not wrong. Laughing helps lower stress and makes people feel happier. Having a good sense of humor lets people see tough situations in a lighter way. It also decreases stress hormone levels in the body and lowers blood pressure. Laughter has also been shown to help people cope better with trauma.

However, it’s important for people not to use humor to hide real struggles or to be mean to themselves. Laughing at themselves in a kind way can help but being harsh or angry with themselves can hurt people’s feelings. Instead, humor should be a gentle, positive way to stay strong and cope with challenges.

11. Finding strength after hardship

People often grow through struggles. After hard times, some may feel stronger, more grateful, and closer to others even though they still feel vulnerable. Over time, challenges may help people increase their self-worth and appreciate life more.

12. Taking small steps toward goals

After recognizing their emotions, people can ask, “What can I do about this?” Breaking big problems into small, realistic steps helps to make them easier to handle. Instead of trying to do everything at once, focusing on one thing each day. This may help people stay motivated and feel more in control, even during tough times. Taking steady action like this may help people keep moving forward and grow stronger.

13. Keeping things in perspective

While people can’t always control what happens in their life, they can control how they respond. When situations are stressful, people should aim for balanced thoughts to see their situation clearly. For example, instead of people thinking, “I always fail,” a balanced thought would be, “Sometimes I make mistakes, but I can learn and improve.” By noticing negative thoughts and changing them to balanced ones, challenges can feel easier to deal with.

14. Accepting change

Change is a natural part of life. After major life events, certain goals or plans may no longer be possible. By accepting what cannot be changed, focus can shift to what can still be controlled or fixed.

15. Maintaining hope for the future

Staying hopeful helps people believe things can get better, even when life feels off track. By focusing on their hopes and noticing small victories, people may find more meaning in their struggles. Maintaining an optimistic outlook can also help to make these challenges feel more manageable.

16. Learning from the past

Looking back on what helped during previous tough times can help guide people through new challenges. By reminding themselves of the strengths, skills, and actions they’ve used in the past, people can tap into their own resilience. Reflecting on what they’ve learned along the way adds even more insight. Together, these reminders give them the tools to move forward with newfound confidence.

17. Getting help

Life can be hard to face alone, so seeking help from licensed mental health professionals is important. They can also create a personalized care plan to help reduce symptoms and improve overall well-being. Finding the right care helps people to focus on what they can control and keep growing through challenges.

A mental health therapist or MinuteClinic licensed therapist can help offer support.

Key takeaways

Building resilience is important for navigating life’s challenges. It means staying positive, building strong relationships and taking care of oneself. Viewing stress as a challenge rather than a threat helps to support emotional recovery. Expressing and accepting emotions may also help people process difficult experiences.

Practices like mindfulness, laughter and seeking support may further strengthen resilience. Taking small steps toward meaningful goals and embracing change can help to foster personal growth.

Resilience is a learned skill. But once mastered with a few actions, people can help themselves feel empowered to adapt, recover and thrive through adversity.