by Beatrice

In 1926, 19-year-old Gertrude Ederle swam across the English Channel in 14 hours and 34 minutes. Her time was 1-hour and 59 minutes faster than the previous men’s record.

But before she broke this record, she had been wrongfully disqualified in 1925 when her coach had her recovered from the Channel because he thought she was drowning. But instead of taking this setback to heart, Gertrude tried her luck again. Her resilience propelled her through the icy waters and right into the record books.

Not only had she broken the men’s record, but she also inspired numerous women like Florence Chadwick, who would break her record in 1950. Gertrude Ederle and countless other women in history serve as a reminder that women can change their stories for the better.

You see, the world will always throw punches at you. It could be a failed audition, the loss of a loved one, a bad break-up, or the onset of an addiction. Either way, you need to dust yourself off and keep going.

Why Is Resilience Important?

Resilience is your ability to bounce back and adapt to change. It does not erase the difficulties or the feelings of grief, distress, and anxiety. Instead, it allows you to survive tough times. Think of it as a form of self-preservation. It enables you to push past a situation that could be detrimental to your health, mental wellness, and success.

For most women, resilience is not just the ability to get back up. It is a journey through which they reconnect with themselves. It is a chance for them to learn their strengths, discover their inner beauty and become the best versions of themselves. The world around you may be indifferent to your problems, but you need to deal with them head-on. Resilience shines a light into whatever dark space you are stuck in.

Gertrude could have chosen to wallow in self-pity and watch her potential drain away (especially since most people did not believe that a woman could swim so far). But instead, she tried again. So, whenever you feel yourself shy away from adversity, ask yourself, what is the trade-off?

Will you be trading in your dreams for a comfortable but unfulfilling life? Or are you trading in your confidence, independence, self-esteem, happiness, and stability?

By developing a spirit of resilience, you will shift your perception and respond accordingly to difficult situations. So, instead of trading in your dreams, your self-image, confidence, and happiness, you can choose to grow during a period of uncertainty.

The Face Of Resilience

So what does resilience look like, and do you have the potential for it?

Well, resilient women embody a collection of traits and actions that help them recover from difficulty. These traits include optimism, gratitude, a positive self-image, emotional intelligence, and an internal locus of control. Granted, these traits don’t come naturally to many women. This could be because of traumatic experiences that make it difficult to find strength.

Similarly, depression, anxiety, and unhealthy coping mechanisms such as drinking make it harder to develop a can-do attitude. But the good news is that you can overcome this. As Maya Angelou says:

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud. Do not complain. Make every effort to change things you do not like. If you cannot make a change, change the way you have been thinking. You might find a new solution.” -Letter to My Daughter

Resilience is like a muscle… it just needs some practice.

Nurturing Resilience, Beauty, And Growth

During stressful periods you can experience: mood changes, disrupted sleeping patterns, poor digestion, memory loss, weight fluctuation, and low self-esteem.

This can impact your internal system, making you susceptible to hypertension, heart diseases and other stress-related ailments. In addition to this, you may experience long periods of depression and be too distracted to take proper care of yourself. As a result, your body may show signs of neglect and health problems. You are likely to look exhausted and run down, which affects your self-esteem and confidence. But once your resilient nature kicks in, your outlook will change and allow you to take better care of yourself. Here’s how.

This can impact your internal system, making you susceptible to hypertension, heart diseases and other stress-related ailments. In addition to this, you may experience long periods of depression and be too distracted to take proper care of yourself. As a result, your body may show signs of neglect and health problems. You are likely to look exhausted and run down, which affects your self-esteem and confidence. But once your resilient nature kicks in, your outlook will change and allow you to take better care of yourself. Here’s how.

A. Self-Care

You can reclaim your beauty and grow by creating a self-care routine that includes a beauty regimen and calming sensory experiences like yoga and listening to music. Self-care habits such as getting enough sleep, eating better, exercising and grooming yourself improve your energy levels, control your mood and boost your self-esteem.
It may seem vain, but taking good care of your body can help you feel more beautiful and confident in your abilities.

B. Boosting Resilience
It is hard to think clearly when you are down. Luckily, there are a couple of things you can do to boost your strength.

Stay optimistic – A positive mindset reduces stress, allowing you to think clearly and make decisive decisions. It also encourages productivity and reduces negative thought cycles.

Manage stress – Stress management keeps your body and mind healthy. You can manage your stress levels by getting enough sleep, exercising, journaling, and doing breathing exercises.

Practice an internal locus of control – You should distinguish between things you can control and those you cannot. This allows you to focus on the things you can directly impact like your feelings, thoughts and actions. You can then create a realistic plan and improve your sense of resilience and control.

Accept failure – Failure is a part of any process. But instead of taking it to heart, treat it as a form of positive feedback. You can then work on improving your coping strategy.