One of the most consistent and memorable teachings from my Dad, which I recently shared in his eulogy, was his insistence that most things were “not a big deal”. I believe it came from his desire to comfort me, help me find perspective, and his efforts at modeling resiliency. Little did he know, he was laying the seeds for my work ahead!
There’s a strong correlation between mindfulness and resilience as both processes are practiced and learned, and share a focus on growth within oneself.
Resilience is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands.
American Psychological Association, June 15, 2024
In mindfulness, we practice cultivating resilience by exercising our ability to regulate our emotions when faced with adverse life events.
One way to do so is through grounding ourselves in the moment; noticing what is present, finding stability, and then proceeding, sure footed, with our next best action.
“It’s not a big deal, Anner”, may be my Dad over simplifying in some challenging times, but it does kick off a grounding process within me, for which I am forever grateful.
Happy Father’s Day to all the wise Dads out there!
A grounding technique that may be useful is the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique. Taking in the environment around you, begin naming:
5 things you can see
4 things you can feel
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste
psychcentral.com. June 15, 2024
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