This month we here at Simpli5 are focusing not on the concept of psychological safety, but psychological resilience.

Psychological resilience is not something we simply either have or don’t have, it is something we must work for; it is something we must fight for.

The idea of psychological safety implies that it’s the world’s responsibility to make us feel comfortable and to provide us with the space we need to show up holistically, but let’s face it, that simply isn’t very realistic. Most people are not going to go out of their way to take care of you. It is our responsibility to take care of ourselves, and in turn, this means better being able to take care of others.

Life is tough. Work can be stressful, home and personal lives can be overwhelming, devastating things happen. We are not always going to snap back as if nothing happened. Sometimes we have to drag ourselves forward, barely getting one foot in front of the other, but resilience means we never stop going.

As kids, we see everything as a learning experience. Even when we stumble or get something wrong, we bounce back up and keep going, knowing the next time is an opportunity to do even better, but somewhere along the way, we start expecting ourselves to get it right all the time, we stop allowing ourselves the space and the grace to err.

Our daily pressures make it feel like we must fire on all cylinders at all times, never really allowing for truly resting and resetting.

Psychological resilience can be seen as mental flexibility, the concept of gracefully flowing through the everchanging landscapes of our minds and navigating the mosaic of emotions we feel at any given moment. Once we understand how to flow with our energies and simply experience life, we begin to build up a resilient nature that can withstand the trials and tribulations that come with it.

When you’re down, and inevitably, at some point or another you will find yourself down and feeling out of sorts, find the things that make you feel alive and remind you of your strength.

Maybe that’s getting outside and spending time in nature.

Maybe that’s turning off your electronics and curling up with a book.

Maybe that’s spending time with the people who mean the most to you.

Maybe that’s treating yourself to a spa day or a much-needed vacation.

Maybe that’s asking for help and exploring therapy.

Maybe that’s helping others and feeling like you’re part of something greater than yourself.

Whatever it is, dive in and give it all you’ve got.

Most importantly, resilience is knowing it’s always worth it to keep going and you are always capable of getting back up on your feet. The world will not always take care of you. You have to take care of yourself. You have to love yourself first and know that you are worth the investment.

Love begets love. Self-love blooms into a love for others.

Starting with ourselves and building up our psychological resilience allows us to handle anything that may come our way, whether that be in our personal lives or at our places of work and throughout our careers. Psychological resilience is relevant in every aspect of our lives and once we understand how to cultivate it within ourselves, we can help create spaces for others to be able to do the same.

Being resilient doesn’t mean never wavering, it means believing you have the strength to stand tall again and surrounding yourself with the people and the resources that will help you along the way.

So, when you fall or fail, pick yourself back up, dust yourself off, allow yourself to rest when you need it, and come back better than ever.