Calmness Promotes Resilience

Practicing techniques to help you stay calm and relaxed can strengthen your control and problem-solving abilities in difficult situations.

Adapted from the article: "Ability to remain calm helps doctors to be resilient” By: Mamta Gautam – The Medical Post – Vol. 46, No. 18

All of us deal with a multitude of complex situations and decisions on a daily basis. How we manage our various challenges directly affects our ability to feel in control and empowered, especially when we're struggling to achieve a healthy lifestyle.
In order to be calm, one must:

1) Recognize triggers and when things are starting to build up; and 2) Develop successful strategies for managing the associated emotions.

During a quiet moment, reflect on what your triggers are in each facet of your life. There is usually something or someone that pushes our buttons. If we really analyze this, we can better understand the inherent patterns that arise. The following techniques can help us maintain a sense of control and allow us to cope with difficult situations more easily:

• Take a deep breath: A good place to start – easy to remember, takes little time, and gives you a chance to stop before reacting. This simple pause could mean the difference between a reaction we may regret and one that is calm & calculated. For example – A colleague makes a comment about our weight gain or loss at work. This deep breath can help us re-organize our thoughts and respond in a way that is calm, non-confrontational, and more than anything, helps deflect the conversation.
• Count to 10: An easy exercise – diverts our initial reaction and buys some time before forming a response. For example – being at a dinner party and feeling completely surrounded by desserts we wanted to avoid. Counting to 10 helps re-focus our original intention to be in control, and may help to choose more wisely.
• Reframe: How we think affects how we feel. By reframing or "recalculating” our thought pattern, we can better direct our reactions. Think of the GPS when we take a wrong turn – it recalculates and comes up with a new plan of action in a calm, unemotional manner. If we can learn to "recalculate” in the same way, we will always be in control, regardless of the situation.
• Positivity: There is a direct link between positive emotions and a happy, healthy and productive life. Learning to consciously look for the good in ourselves and others can be very hard; however, by practicing optimism we can make our life and outlook much more enriching. Positive self-talk is key – especially if we doubt ourselves or our efforts.
• Mindfulness meditation: This helps to increase our awareness of our reactions and to develop healthier ways to cope. Learning to stay in the present moment and facing problems allows us to reflect, gain a new perspective, and manage differently. Focusing in on our breathing, thoughts, feelings and sensations can help us experience what's actually happening instead of ruminating about it; often, we see more possibilities.
• Keeping a journal: Putting feelings into words can help clarify things and highlight strategies; it provides an outlet for us to let go of feelings we feel uncomfortable sharing with others. Writing about a stressful day or writing down the foods we ate allows us to validate and manage our feelings in a safe, private manner.

These techniques can be useful to help us feel more calm and in control, but the key is to practice; the more you practice, the easier it becomes. Achieving a healthy lifestyle is a daunting task – we come up against many bumps in the road. Learning how to manage roadblocks helps us feel empowered, and ultimately allows us to achieve our goals!