7 Cs of Resilience 

1. Confidence: Being confident in yourself and your capabilities may help you recover more quickly from a difficult situation or failure. Try these tips to improve confidence:

   • Take care of your body by choosing healthy lifestyle behaviors (e.g., regular exercise, hydration).
   • Seek opportunities for self-discovery when going through tough times. Focus on how you can grow, or have grown, from an experience.

2. Competence: Having the skills to make appropriate judgement calls and responsible choices can improve your ability to handle challenges. Try these tips to boost your competence:

   • Break down overwhelming situations into smaller pieces that you can manage. Focus on what you can do in this moment to solve the existing issue. 
   • Develop and work toward a goal. Identify a SMART goal and take steps each day to accomplish it.

3. Connection: Strong relationships with friends, family and others can provide help and support when you’re going through hardship. Try these suggestions for building connection:

   • Prioritize your relationships with people you trust and feel comfortable with speaking openly. Ideally, this is someone who makes you feel heard and validated when sharing sensitive information.
   • Join a group with people who have experienced something similar to what you are going through. You can also join groups with people who have similar interests (e.g., a gaming club) to expand your social network and feel more connected to your community.

4. Character: Establishing core values can create a strong sense of self and improve your ability to overcome tough situations. These tips can help you develop self-awareness:

   • Reflect on your personal values and why they are important to you. Understanding the root of who you are can help you approach situations more successfully.
   • Try to keep a positive outlook, even when things are not going your way. Your mentality can set the tone for how you respond to situations and daily life events.

5. Contribution: Feeling like you matter and have purpose can boost your self-worth and make you more resilient. Try these tips to improve your contribution: 

   • Give back to your community. Volunteer at a local shelter or with a charitable organization.
   • Help a friend or family member in need. Supporting loved ones can deepen your connections and improve resilience.

6. Control: Knowing that your actions can dictate what happens, at least to a certain extent, is a key component of resilience. These tips can help improve your sense of control: 

   • Accept change for what it is. Recognize when you cannot alter an outcome or situation and instead focus your energy on what you can control.
   • Try shifting your perspective. Although you may not be able to change or prevent an unfortunate event, you do get to choose how you respond.

7. Coping: The way in which you respond to stressors can influence how prepared you are to handle challenges. Try these tips for better coping: 

   • Practice mindfulness with journaling, yoga or meditation. Use this time to express gratitude and reflect on your strengths and positive life experiences.
   • Avoid unhealthy coping mechanisms like alcohol or drugs. Instead of attempting to ignore stress, focus on providing your body the resources needed to work through it.

Everyone has experienced challenges. For most people, using their own strategies and resources is enough to get them through what they are experiencing. But sometimes, you may have trouble dealing with the problem in a healthy way.

If you do not feel like you can function normally and/or are unable to perform daily life activities, you should seek professional help. Licensed mental health experts, like a psychologist, can help you create a well-balanced plan to overcome the challenge you are facing.