The Resiliency Shift

I want to share with you, step-by-step how you can engage your body to help you build your capacity for resilience – it’s simple and effective. I call it the Resiliency Shift: 

PRE-WORK – GET READY!:

• Step 1: Understand what a triggered state and a resilient state looks and feels like (refer back to the graphic above).
   
• Step 2: Build motivation around choosing a resilient state (one reason – a state of resilience helps you make better decisions – test it for yourself using the graphic above).
   
• Step 3: Build your own self-awareness — notice when you are in a triggered state and implement Step 5 during those moments.

THE RESILIENCY SHIFT:

• Step 4: Here’s the biggie — it’s a three-part experiential exercise that recruits your body and mind, so you know how to make the shift from triggered to resilient (note: building this capacity is one of the first steps I guide my coaching clients through – I’ll try my best to describe it here): 
   
  • PART 1: Think of a place that you love being, preferably in nature – imagine yourself there as if it’s happening right now.
    • Slowly experience it – what do you see, hear, taste, smell; how does your body feel when you’re there; how is your mind? 
    • Most likely, this is your resilient state. I call this ‘place’ your inner-resource. Check out the graphic above and see if it seems accurate.
       
  • Part 2: Now think of the last time you were really frustrated or angry.
    • Let yourself experience that — what do you see, hear, taste, smell; how does your body feel when this happened; how was your mind?
    • This is you triggered. Check out the graphic above and see if it seems accurate.
       
  • Part 3:  Now, here’s the capacity building part (think of it as learning how to tune an instrument – you’re body / mind is out-of-tune and you’re going to tune it) – mindfully bring yourself from your triggered state to the resilient state and PAY ATTENTION TO and SAY OUT LOUD, every small nuanced shift that is taking place in what you see, hear, taste, sell; how your body feels, how your mind is. Make it as slow and explicit as possible.
    
    E.g. When I’m moving from triggered to resilient my posture is taller, my jaw relaxes, my shoulders shift down and back. I release agitation and my mind seems calm and still. Before I couldn’t even feel my legs and now I have a sense of grounding. I wasn’t very aware of my surroundings and now I can see the entire space around me bringing in sounds, smells and the taste of seawater in my mouth. 
     
  • THAT’S IT! 

BUILD THAT RESILIENCY MUSCLE

• Step 5: Practice. Practice. Practice. Every time you become aware that you are triggered, stop, take a breath or even count from 5 down to 1, then tap your ‘inner resource’ by imagining you’re back in that place you love that brings you into a resilient state (Part 1 above). Mindfully make all of those nuanced adjustments to your body that you noticed in Part 3.
  
  E.g. sit up straight, loosen your jaw, shift your shoulders back, your mind calming down just like in the place you love. Sense your legs and ground down through your feet. Bring in your surroundings – the sounds, smells, and tastes.