Vetnews | Junie 2024 38 « BACK TO CONTENTS I hope this article finds you and your families well and safe!!! Last month we discussed looking at opportunities and preparing the way for opportunity to find you. Last month I had the great opportunity and privilege to attend the World Veterinary Association congress in Cape Town, whose theme for the entire event revolved around resilience! The American Psychological Association defines resilience as “the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioural flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands.” In addition to this definition, there are sources of information discussing 4 different types of resilience (physical, mental, emotional, and social). There are 7 components of resilience, the 5 Cs of resilience, the 5 principles, the 3 categories of resilience, the 3 Ps of resilience, the 3 keys to resilience, etc. etc. etc. I am a life coach, and even I, upon first exposure to all this information, I felt overwhelmed. That is not the aim of this article though. I would like to impart some simple information, which will hopefully be applicable right away for you. The idea in my head that I want to share with you, is one that as clinicians we use daily. We often evaluate, probe, listen to our patients and look at various aspects of their anatomy to bring us closer to a diagnosis. One of the fundamental skills is evaluating skin integrity, hydration status and the presence of oedema. Look at your forearm right now. Pick a spot and press your index finger into it. It should bend under pressure and revert to normal as soon as your finger and the pressure are removed. Now, pinch a fold of skin between your fingers on your forearm and then let go. The skin should revert to normal as soon as you let go of the skin fold. That is resilience!!! Wanting to revert to normal after each stimulus. We all have inherent inner strength that helps us rebound from a setback or challenge, such as an illness, or receiving really bad news. Sometimes we get stuck on problems or feel like a victim. One thing not to do is to resort to unhealthy ways of coping with challenges, such as drug/alcohol abuse, eating disorders, aggression/rage and/ or risky behaviours. Resilience means being able to adapt to tough events. A simple example would be how UV exposure is known to enhance pigmentation in our skin and is thus important in protecting our skin against overexposure to solar radiation. When you get burned by the sun, you may feel anger and pain. But you’re able to keep going, both physically and psychologically. Resilience can help protect us from mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety. Resilience also can help you deal with things that increase the risk of mental health conditions, such as being bullied or having trauma. If you have a mental health condition, being resilient can help you cope better. Top Tips: Have a Network. Building strong, healthy relationships with loved ones and friends can give you needed support and help guide you in good and bad times. Connect with others by volunteering or joining a faith or spiritual group. Live your purpose. Do something that gives you a sense of purpose every day. Set clear goals that you can reach to help you look toward the future with meaning. Learn from the past. You have survived 100% of the challenges thrown at you thus far. Think about what has helped you through tough times. Write about past events in a journal to help you see the patterns of how you behave and to help guide you in the future. Focus on the future. You can’t change the past, but you can shape the future. Being open to change makes it easier to adapt and view new challenges with less worry. Take care of yourself. Tend to your own needs and feelings without fail. Do activities and hobbies you enjoy, including exercise daily. Get sleep and have a bedtime ritual. Follow a healthy diet. Try different ways to relax, such as yoga, meditation, guided imagery, deep breathing, or prayer. Stay active. Don’t ignore your problems. Instead, figure out what you need to do, plan, and take action. Give yourself time to recover from a major setback. Your life will improve when you work at it. When to seek professional advice Getting more resilient takes time and practice. If you don’t feel you’re making progress or know where to start, talk with a mental health professional. With guidance, you can improve your resiliency and mental well-being. Next month, we will continue looking at more ideas for improving our quality of life and overall performance both at work and at home. v Influential Life Coaching RESILIENCE IDEAS Dr Mats Abatzidis B.Sc. B.V.Sc. New Insights Certified VIP Life Coach mats.abatzidis@yahoo.co.za Founder of Influential Life Coaching http://www.matsaba.wix.com/drmatscoach Author of the published book “Life outside your comfort zone. Better and beyond all expectations”. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=searchalias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Abatzidis http://www.life-coach-directory.co.za/mats-abatzidis Vet's Health I Life Coaching
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