How to Be More Resilient

Losing weight is hard and there’s no denying that you will have setbacks. But on this journey, as on the journey of life itself, there are going to be times where you’ll have to push through the emotional (and physical) pain and keep going.

This concept is known as resilience, and according to Oxford Languages, it’s defined as “the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties.” But how do we develop this important characteristic? Let’s take a look.

As the term suggests, practicing acceptance involves accepting that you are in the midst of a difficult period, but vowing to take your journey one day at a time and calmly focusing on the actions you can take in the immediate future to help fix the problems you are currently facing.

For example, during a weight loss journey, you may be stressed because you cannot hit 10,000 steps per day due to health issues. In this situation, you would accept your current circumstances and work towards eventually hitting that goal by repeatedly walking a comfortable number of steps and then gradually building up to 10,000 in your own time. 

If the pandemic taught us one thing it’s that being isolated from other people sucks. Humans are naturally social creatures and it’s often easier to bounce back from our problems when we’ve got good people around us to cheer us on.

For example, during your weightloss journey, you could seek out other people who are in the process of losing weight too! You could share your personal experiences and discuss tips and tricks to help get through the hard times. These people don’t need to be in your immediate vicinity either as there are plenty of virtual communities too, like The Man Shakers Facebook group.

Do you have something that makes you want to get up in the morning and face the day head on? If not, maybe it’s time to find something along those lines.

People who have activities to focus on often end up being more resilient, because these activities distract them from their problems. With that in mind, join a club or a social group, volunteer to help a local charity, or develop a skill like drawing, woodwork or gardening. The more invested (i.e. distracted) you are, the more likely you are to bounce back from your setbacks. 

Did you know that scientific research indicates that positive people generally live longer, have greater resistance to illness, have better cardiovascular health and have better coping skills during times of stress than negative people?

Knowing this, it’s time to start acting more positive, because as legendary college basketball coach John Wooden once said, “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”

For tips on how to be more positive, check out this blog. 

As men, we have been traditionally conditioned to bottle up our emotions and not seek help when needed. To be frank, that advice is pure A-grade bullsh*t.

If you are feeling lost during your weight loss journey and feel like you have nowhere to turn, please, please, PLEASE, don’t be afraid to ask for help from a friend, loved one or a mental health care professional. These people can not only act as sounding boards, but they may have some wisdom to share that will help you get through a rough patch.

If you are at the stage where you think you need professional help, we recommend consulting services like Lifeline, Black Dog Institute and Beyond Blue.