Resilience is our ability to cope successfully with stress and adversity in our lives, to bounce back under stress, especially when things don't go as planned.  But what is it that allows us to bounce back?  Current research directly links resilience with our ability to experience, differentiate, and make good use of our emotions.  The ability to cope with and manage our feelings is central to navigating daily stress as well as when dealing with traumatic events.  Moreover, when we can experience positive feelings despite negative circumstances, we're even better able to cope.

In fostering resilience in ourselves, it's essential that we be able to harness the internal resources of our emotions to assist us in facing our problems and guiding our decision-making.   In addition, feeling connected with others, opening up and sharing our struggles and reaching out for help when needed, dramatically enhances our well-being.   If we can find the courage to open up and share what's going on inside us, we'll likely discover that we're not alone and benefit from much needed support.   Our ability to be open to and present with our feelings is required to be able to take these important steps.

To help foster resilience in yourself, take some time to try these simple tips:

• Make a conscious effort to be more mindful of how you respond to the news of the day.  You may notice that you feel fearful hearing about shifts in the financial markets or the H1N1 virus and then you find yourself doing things to distract yourself or making rash decisions.  Instead of being reactive, breathe into your experience, calm yourself, and try to simply ride out the wave of feeling.  Then, ask yourself if your fear is in proportion to your actual risk.   Weigh your reaction with reality, use compassion to ease your worries, and practice using your feelings as a source of information instead of something that automatically dictates a response.

• Find someone in your life that you feel close to and with whom you're comfortable sharing your feelings.  Make the decision to share whatever feelings you may have noticed during your emotional monitoring, and then follow through and do it.  For instance, talk about your fears about the economy, your job, the future.  Allow yourself to not be alone with your worries.  Let yourself take in the support you receive and notice any shift or change in your experience as you open up and share.

• Think of something you feel good about or are grateful for in your life.  Whether it's your children, a loved one, or a pet, a happy time you once had, a place you like to go.  Make space for the positive feelings that are engendered.  Allow the positive energy to flow through your body and expand.  Throughout your day, take time to reflect on what makes you feel good, and let the feelings grow inside you.  Notice any shifts you may experience in your perspective or outlook.

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