For the first time in a long time, there is no certainty in a world that relies on predictability. The system has dismantled its elements and left most of us feeling misplaced. Days flow into one another, making weekends futile, for the exhaustion of usual week doesn’t feel the same without the daily grind of physically moving around. Time isn’t a marker, but a vessel that is useful only if you fill it. The stillness of our environments has puzzled our mind, that now replaces the restlessness that was previously outside. The constant uncertainty being circulated by the media, adds no reassurance to our peace of mind. It is now that I have begun to question the durability of the only certainty I have – that my mind, my emotions, my thoughts, my mental state will either survive or not.The answer to this will question will only be found once I understand my own mindset. To do this, I will ponder further. Is my perspective on the world, my attitude towards discomfort and unpredictability effective for my life? Does my current default mood, that temporary state of mind that I habitually return to, benefit the way I deal with difficulties in my life? Can I improve my mindset to prepare for discomfort, like a wrestler prepares for a fight? What does a resilient mindset look like? The answers to these questions create a mental start point at which I can start looking for the solution to my problem. 
While studying Psychology in school, we often came across definitions of words that we today take for granted. Resilience being one of them. A popular definition of this word that I resonate with, is ‘the ability to withstand and rebound from disruptive life challenges. It refers to the ability of a system (or person) to remain intact in spite of adversity, and either to return to the same level of functioning as before the crisis or to surpass this pre-morbid level’ (Walsh, 2003). A resilient mental state is one that answers a firm yes to the question – in the face of adversity, will you be able to keep it together long enough to recover and return to normal? A few years ago, my mindset would have answered an egotistical yes, afraid to seem weak in the eyes of others. Being resilient is a quality we would all like to associate with, yet it isn’t a badge of success we can just hook onto our personal experiences. To really deal with adversity in one’s life, isn’t to just let time help you move past it. It’s to be in control of your mental state at ALL times, even without adversity, and use this efficient mental state to make decisions and choices in your life when adversity does knock on your door.  Admitting to myself over the last few years that my thoughts and actions weren’t resilient was a truth I needed to face. Today, in the face of this difficult period, I have been consciously using my strategies to remain in a mental state that is positive and focused. Once we master the emotional switches in our mind, we can rely on our brain to provide us with predictability in times of adversity, when unpredictability conquers. Imagine always having your mindset to rely on, because you’ve trained your brain to remain predictable in face of difficulty and discomfort; predictable with positive and productive behaviours and thoughts that help you deal with the discomfort, rather than confuse you. When the threat to your security does come, you’ll be ready to fight and not be forced to take flight. If you would like to start preparing, scan the QR Code below or check out the link mentioned in my bio on Instagram and enrol in this free course I have designed to give you some certainty. Some of us won’t make it, but some of us will. Only you can do something to change that. 


* The author can be contacted on Instagram @sincerelysanah