Increase resilience for transition #3: Mindfulness to move out of negative emotions

What is resilience?

Resilience is a term which is used quite widely, but many people find it difficult to define what resilience actually means. For the purposes of this blog series on increasing resilience for transition, I’ll use this definition of resilience from Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary:

“an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change”

 Mindfulness to avoid getting stuck in negative moments and increase resilience

I decided to include a blog on the power of mindfulness in building resilience after reading ‘Turn Negative Emotions into Your Greatest Source of Strength.’  The article explores how mindfulness can be used to avoid getting stuck in negative moments. The author, Elisha Goldstein, provides food for thought in the following paragraph:

“What it really comes down to is there are moments in life that are hard. What would it be like to acknowledge that and turn a caring attention toward ourselves in an effort to approach the wounded part of ourselves rather than avoiding?”

Why is using mindfulness so helpful for increasing resilience in transition?

The relocation experience is full of hard moments, which can be spread over months or even years. Those hard moments are typically accompanied by very uncomfortable and challenging feelings. Many people have developed coping strategies which involved avoiding or squashing down those challenging feelings. Taking a different approach and acknowledging those feelings is a much more constructive approach, though it often feels like the more difficult option.

The article’s author also points to the important of recognising feelings as temporary:

“It is what it is, while it is. Nothing lasts forever. Difficulties will pass and so will the wonders”

…while also recognising the value of paying attention to challenging feelings, even though they are temporary:

“While this is a temporary feeling, it is here right now. How can I care for it, what do I need?” 

How I can help

Much of my work with families and international schools focuses on developing and maintaining resilience throughout relocation. I offer a range of approaches to best suit individual needs. My options for support for a resilient relocation include my hello/goodbye program, coaching and A New Adventure: Coaching Cards for an International Move.