Mindfulness Monthly Memos

The theme of this month is “Jump Back Up July.” This topic focuses on resilience, coping with challenging situations, and getting back up again, no matter how many times you fall.

What is resilience? 

Resilience is a person's ability to “bounce back” after a setback. In other words, it is the ability to adapt and keep going forward when faced with adversity, which helps one to become stronger with every challenge they overcome. Resilience is important to build and helps prevent stress, process setbacks or failures, handle grief, and build a foundation for emotional well-being. Furthermore, resilience is crucial to one's mental health and helps to protect against mental health challenges, such as anxiety and depression. 

Skills to promote resilience: 

Building resilience involves developing a set of tools to manage adversity and building a growth-mindset. While there is no single skill that works for everyone, there are several ways to begin developing resilience: 

• Practice Reframing and Growth Mindset: Shift your mindset into viewing setbacks as learning experiences rather than failures. Reframe negative thoughts, focus on the positives, maintain a hopeful outlook, and practice gratitude. 
• Build a Support System: Surround yourself with supportive relationships, including friends, family, and other trusted individuals. Encouraging people can be a supportive factor when overcoming difficulties. 
• Embrace Discomfort and Practice Emotional Regulation: Building resilience and confidence occurs when we push through challenges instead of avoiding them. We can manage stressful situations by using healthy strategies to regulate our emotions, such as mindfulness and deep breathing exercises. 
• Engage in Self-Care: Taking care of oneself mentally and physically is connected to building resilience. Activities such as regularly exercising, getting adequate sleep, eating a healthy diet, and finding time for hobbies you enjoy or relaxing can promote resilience.  
• Problem-Solving and Self-Awareness: Problem-solving is the ability to identify, analyze, and break down problems to come up with potential solutions. Self-awareness includes the ability to understand one’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, so that they are better able to respond to stress. These skills can help with facing and overcoming challenges and building resilience. 

Appendix
OC Psychology Center. (2025, March 31). The Importance Of Resilience: Bouncing Back and Moving Forward
Sutton, J. (2019, January 3). What is resilience & why is it important to bounce back? PositivePsychology