Bellevue Christian Counseling Logo

  • ServicesRead about the expertise available
    • Individual ServicesAddress your personal concerns confidentially
      • ADHD
      • Abandonment Issues and Neglect
      • Aging and Geriatric Issues
      • Anger Management
      • Anxiety
      • Autism Spectrum Disorder
      • Bipolar Disorder
      • Chemical Dependency
      • Counseling for Children
      • Counseling for Teens
      • Codependency
      • Depression
      • Eating Disorders
      • EMDR
      • Grief and loss Counseling
      • Individual Counseling
      • Infidelity and Affairs
      • Lifespan Integration Therapy
      • Men’s Issues
      • OCD
      • Personal Development
      • Psychological Testing
      • PTSD
      • Relationship Issues
      • Sex And Porn Addiction
      • Sexual Abuse
      • Spiritual Development
      • Trauma
      • Weight Loss
      • Women’s Issues
    • Christian Couples CounselingWork through challenges together
      • Couples Counseling
      • Premarital Counseling
      • Marriage Counseling
    • Family CounselingEstablish the peaceful home you desire
      • Christian Counseling for Children
        and Teens
      • Family Counseling
    • Group CounselingBenefit from the support of others
      • Men’s Sexual Addiction Recovery
        Group
      • All Counseling Groups
    • Online Counseling
    • Anxiety
    • Depression
    • Marriage Counseling
    • Sex And Porn Addiction
  • LocationsChoose from our variety of office locations
    • Anacortes 1Anacortes
    • Bellevue
    • Bothell 8Bothell
    • Bellevue Christian Counseling 1Edmonds
    • Everett 8Everett
    • Federal Way
    • Kent 2Kent
    • Kirkland Christian CounselingKirkland
    • Lacey Christian CounselingLacey
    •  1Mill Creek
    •  1Monroe
    • Oak Harbor Office OutsideOak Harbor
    • Poulsbo
    •  1Puyallup
    • Redmond 3Redmond
    • Seattle Ballard 6Seattle Ballard
    •  1Seattle Downtown
    • Seattle Greenlake 10Seattle Greenlake
    • Silverdale Office FrontSilverdale
    • Tacoma 6Tacoma
    •  1Spokane
    • Spokane ValleySpokane Valley
    • Vancouver
    •  1Online Counseling
  • CounselorsFind the best counselor for your needs
  • CareersBecome an affiliated Christian counselor
  • (425) 939-6856Please give us a call, we are here to help
header-image

8 Tips for Bouncing Back from Hardship: A Christian Counselor on Resilience

Bellevue Christian Counseling
https://bellevuechristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/8-tips-for-bouncing-back-from-hardship-a-christian-counselor-on-resilience-3.jpg 300 201
https://bellevuechristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/bellevue.jpg
https://bellevuechristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/cropped-cropped-seattle-logo.png
330 112th Ave NE, Suite 302
BELLEVUE, WA 98004
United States
330 112th Ave NE, Suite 302
BELLEVUE, WA 98004
United States
Bellevue Christian Counseling
Jan
2015
12

8 Tips for Bouncing Back from Hardship: A Christian Counselor on Resilience

Heidi Monuteaux

HEIDIM IMG_4599bAfter watching the postgame interviews of two NFL quarterbacks, I couldn’t help but notice the stark differences. Both Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick had experienced tough losses but why does Wilson respond so differently from Kaepernick? How does Wilson welcome adversity while Kaepernick seems to crumble under the burden? The difference boils down to the concept of resilience.

What is Resilience?

Resilience is the capacity to recover from life’s difficulties. Resilience is an essential life skill that helps us to bounce back from a variety of hardships, including illness, poverty, criticism, abandonment, death, fear, anxiety, and depression. In short, resilience is a life skill that is absolutely essential for a happy, healthy life.

Keep in mind that being resilient doesn’t make you immune from stress or hardship. Rather, having resilience means that you will experience and think about stress and hardship differently. Resilience gives you the ability to find meaning in the challenges life brings your way and to bounce back from them.

Like us if you are enjoying this content.

Where does Resilience Come From?

Resilience is not something that you are born with. Rather, it is something that is learned and developed over the lifespan. Children are equipped with abilities and inner strength that may lead to resilience later in life. Parents, teachers, coaches, and mentors are responsible to nurture, teach, and train young people in a way that fosters resilience in children as they grow.

How is Resilience Strengthened?

As I mentioned earlier, it is the responsibility of adults to teach children how to be resilient. So, what can you do if you are an adult and you were not taught healthy resiliency in childhood? What if you never saw it modeled while growing up? Well, there is hope. With hard work adults can also learn how to be resilient.

Here are some ways to improve resilience in your own life.

  1. Think positive thoughts. Our thoughts directly impact our feelings and behaviors. Negative thoughts are like poisons that make us feel awful about our situation. But when we have positive thoughts we experience more positive emotions and see more possibilities in the middle of our difficult life circumstances. Watch the video of Russell Wilson again. Count the number of times he intentionally directs the focus of his comments to what is positive in the situation.
  1. Embrace change. Jesus promised that you will experience trouble and hardship (John 16:33). By accepting difficulties and anticipating change, you will be more prepared for it when it occurs. Believe it or not, change is good and sometime necessary. Embrace it.
  1. Establish realistic goals. What you resist persists, so don’t ignore the difficulties of life. Instead, look at them accurately, figure out what you can do, define realistic goals for yourself, and then get to work.
  1. HEIDIM file6101259031056Learn from past experiences. Reflect on past hardships with honesty. Look at what worked and what didn’t work and see failure as a helpful form of feedback. Get rid of what didn’t work and keep doing the things that helped you.
  1. Make it meaningful. Finding meaning during difficult times is essential as humans are wired for meaning and purpose. When we find meaning we find a reason to continue on. We can create meaning by finding ways to give to others, by being thankful for what we have, and by changing our attitude about our circumstances.
  1. Connect with others. Resilience does not mean toughing it out alone or being stoic in isolation. Instead it involves being able to reach out to others for support. A support system is essential because these relationships will provide you with necessary support and acceptance during difficult times. You can build your support network by connecting with others in communities such as church, school, neighborhood, and family.
  1. Practice self-care. Self-care is essential to preventing and reducing stress and enhances your well-being. Be aware of your physical, psychological, and emotional needs. Find healthy ways to meet those needs with exercise, rest, relaxation, and healthy eating habits.
  1. Look to Jesus. Keep your perspective on the faithfulness of God. God promises to supply all of our needs. In times of anxiety, stress, and hardship, keep in mind that He is faithful to help.

A Christian Counselor Can Support You in Bouncing Back

Becoming resilient takes time and practice. Sometimes life brings us difficulties that we can’t seem to move past. It is important to seek professional help if you feel that you are not making progress, or you don’t know where to start. A professional Christian counselor can come alongside you and help you to bolster resilience.

Photos
“Iced Grapes, IMG_4599b.jpg,”
morguefile.com, “Sprout, 030609 002.jpg,” by Kevin_P, morguefile.com

  • Share on Facebook
  • Tweet it
  • ↑ Back to top

Other articles that might interest you...

spacer

spacer

A Christian Counselor Talks about Shame
Photo of Erik Mildes

Erik Mildes

A Christian Counselor Talks about Shame

Shame is one of those emotions that everyone carries and no one likes to talk about. It’s the fear that,...

continue reading »

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Bellevue Christian Counseling Logo
Bellevue Christian Counseling
Professional help with faith-based values
We are an association of professional, independently licensed Christian counselors experienced in helping people of all ages find healing for a wide variety of issues.
© 2023 Bellevue Christian Counseling. All rights reserved.
330 112th Ave NE,, Bellevue, WA 98004. Tel (425) 939-6856.
Facebook Twitter Online Counseling About Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use Feel free to contact us!
COVID-19 Service Update: We are still open for business. In office and online counseling is available if needed.