Emotional Resilience: Day 2
Building Emotional Resilience in the Era of COVID-19
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted and changed our lives in both small and striking ways. It’s a sea of uncertainty and we’re grasping for a life preserver while searching for an island of refuge. In this week’s series on Emotional Resilience, we’ve asked CNS therapists to share hope, inspiration, and tools to help you navigate the storm.
Dr. Gary Seale, CNS Regional Director of Clinical Services, has devoted his career to helping patients and families overcome the trauma of recovering from traumatic brain injury. As a respected clinician, lecturer, and advocate, he’s seen devastated people transformed by their personal journey of resilience.
“Resilience is an inner resource to call on,” he observed. To build that internal strength, Dr. Seale says that growth begins with a change in perception – of yourself and the situation causing distress.
His suggestions:
- Deepen your social network. Surround yourself with people who provide support and encouragement.
- Connect with something bigger than yourself by helping others, for example, send thank you cards to your city’s first responders.
- Hold a positive view of yourself and your abilities. When did you last face a significant challenge or overcome adversity? Embrace that experience as the seeds of resilience.
- Become mindful of your media diet. Unplug from TV and radio and commit to reading, watching, or listening to something inspirational.
- If you’re working from home, now is the time for self-care: sleep, hydrate, and eat intelligently. Health and mindfulness are resilience tools that require actions you can control.
- If you’re a health care professional, make a list of all the patients you’ve helped. Know that their successes reflect on your skills and dedication.
For Dr. Seale, remembering the patients who’ve reclaimed their lives after brain injury is a practice that’s had the most profound impact on him. “We see people who have every reason to quit, so to be part of their recovery journey makes me want to get up and go to work each day,” he said.
In that spirit, all of us at CNS are sending you heart, hope, compassion, and our wishes for an abiding resilience.
Hang in. Be strong. Stay safe.
