Skip to main content

Take Five: Overcome Life’s Obstacles

Simple practices to bounce back and increase resiliency

Part of the Take Five Series

Daily responsibilities. Bad news. Stress.

These are ways life's smooth ride can hit speed bumps every day.

Read More

But how we deal with surprises is based on our resiliency - the ability to bounce back under pressure and remain upbeat. The ability to cope with life’s problems can take many forms from rhythmic breathing to exercise of muscle relaxation."Life is a spin cycle - the mind isn't always stuck on positive," said Linda Smith, director of professional and public programs with Duke Integrative Medicine. She recently led a workshop on the art of resiliency as part of Duke Integrative Medicine's free monthly seminar series. "The cause for lack of resiliency in many of us is because we follow a path of reaction rather than choice in our lives."

How can you better deal with stressors in your life? Here are five ways to up your resiliency:

Stop and take a deep breath

"Marriages are saved, careers are saved and lives are saved just by taking a pause between actions and reactions," Smith said.During that pause, Smith said the simple action of taking three deep breaths can be an easy way to relax - even just for a moment - and clear the mind. She admitted it’s an easy thing to do, but one that can work wonders. Just close your eyes, focus on your breathing and take three deep, breaths to help clear your head.

Focus on the good

At the end of each day before going to bed, write down three good things that happened to you and your role in making them happen. It's not only a way to reinforce your abilities, but put your mind in a positive place before sleep.

"Sometimes people just say 'relax' and it’s not that simple," said Caroline Bollenbacher, a Chapel Hill resident who attended the resiliency workshop. "Finding clear, concrete things to focus on helps me live in the moment and find the good in life."

Practice yoga - in your work chair

It's easy to release tension in just 10 minutes with some simple stretches you can perform while at your desk. Sitting for extended periods of time can decrease circulation, increase muscle stiffness and cause mental fatigue.

Check out this list of easy stretches and don't forget to focus on slowly breathing in and out to help melt tension away.

Heal your body with your mind

Smith said an easy way to reset the mind during a hectic day is by practicing guided imagery, the process of actively directing positive thoughts and suggestions to create a relaxed state.

You can practice this through closing your eyes and imagining a relaxing location or experience, listening to calming music or even having an instructor guide your thoughts and processes to find an ideal state. YouTube offers many guided imagery videos to help you relax.

Increase muscle awareness

Practicing progressive muscle relaxation helps to identify how it feels when your body is stressed and tense, allowing you to be more aware of when it’s time to try and relax. The key is to simply recognize what muscle groups throughout the body feel like in an agitated and relaxed state.

"For all the multitasking we do, it's important to reset our focus and our bodies throughout the day," Smith said. "Part of that is inducing relaxation responses."

Follow this guide to work on muscle relaxation, starting from the top of your head to your toes.