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Adaptation and Resilience Strategies

These strategies promote and support resiliency and involve both inner work and outer work:

A foundational piece of resiliency is the ability to see our situation and times from a larger, “bird’s eye view” or pattern level perspective. It is helpful because it allows us to make sense of and give meaning to what’s going on in our lives and our world. 

The environmental crisis with its climate change impacts has already created a growing mental health crisis here and around the world. The pandemic on top of that has pushed many to the edge of their coping abilities and emotional resiliency. Dealing with the stress and our feelings about all the challenges we are facing – grief, rage, fear, despair, anxiety, and more – is of utmost importance to our well-being. Self-care is essential in these times and learning to manage our emotions is one of the most important skills we can acquire. See the Learning Opportunities section of this site and Personal Healing and Growth Blog posts for more information on this. And, seek support and professional help when needed. 

Some form of meditation, mindfulness, or contemplative practice is restorative to mind, body, and spirit. These practices calm the nervous system, restructure the brain, and bring a sense of ease and well-being. They also can shift us into a non-ordinary state of consciousness whereby we access the deepest part of ourselves, our Essential Self so we can live beyond our smaller, conditioned self. The new neuroscience research and the HeartMath practices on this site are more science oriented if that’s your preference. These practices also enable one to be kinder, more compassionate, and more tolerant which is needed more than ever in these times. My handbook, A Guide to Shifting Your Consciousness also offers foundational information and practices for resiliency.

The natural world is also tremendously restorative. The field of Ecopsychology is proving its healing power right down to its effect on the brain. So spend time in or at least seeing nature on a regular basis. Besides being regenerative, it strengthens our connection to Mother Earth and the beings with whom we share this planet so we will protect them.

Another essential these days is being part of a community or what Meg Wheatley refers to as an “island of sanity”. Involvement in our community provides a local support system, meaningful activities, and facilitates social engagement and camaraderie which reduces loneliness and helps our nervous system get out of sympathetic arousal.

Involvement in some sort of local service or activism is paramount if we are to turn the tide on the challenges we are facing. It also brings meaning and purpose into our lives and acts of service (altruism) make us feel really good. Working for larger systemic change is also important, as well as, working globally through subtle activism.