“We cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to
cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose.” –
Viktor Frankl
“Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of
adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress — such as
family and relationship problems, serious health problems or workplace and
financial stressors.” – American Psychological Association
Complementary Practices and Activities Clinic Booklet
Some
creatively describe resilience as the ability to bounce back, to remain
flexible similar to a rubber band, and to bend like a tree branch in the midst
of the storm. Resilience is not a characteristic trait that some people have or
do not have; rather, cultivating resilience is a learned ordinary process and
something anyone can develop by adapting behaviors, thoughts, and actions.
Resilience may also be thought of as a “battery” which may be of a physical,
mental, and emotional source. When our batteries are low or empty, we don’t
have much energy or none at all to draw upon to manage feelings, problem solve,
and respond well in both challenging and every day experiences.
Emotional
stress and sadness are common in people who are experiencing chronic and
serious illness. Feelings of fear, anger, resentment, frustration, anxiety,
grief, sadness, and guilt tend to deplete our energies and many of these same
emotions and others may also run in the background of our thoughts without us
being aware of them, draining our body and mind sometimes affecting our heart
rhythms by increasing stress, and further pressing us into debilitating
emotional states.
Engaging in
proven complimentary activities and alternative practices may help reduce
stress, and boost our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual energies. When
we are functioning with higher internal resources, we can regulate our emotions
more effectively to avoid overreacting, think clearly to problem solve, modify
our responses, enlarging our capacity to prepare, engage and recover after a
challenging event.
These
resource booklets provide a brief overview of some alternative and
complementary mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual practices/activities
that may help people renew energies to reduce stress, increase resilience, and
improve quality of life. Topics you’ll find in these booklets:
Mental
& Spiritual Practices
· Meditation
· Mindfulness and Mindfulness
Based Stress Reduction
· Prayer
and Centering Prayer
· Slow
and Deep Breathing
· Progressive
Muscle Relaxation
· Biofeedback
· Guided
Imagery
· Loving-kindness
Meditation and Smiling Meditation
· Chanting
and Mantra Meditation
· Aromatherapy
· Fasting
· Lectio
Divina/Reading
· Beholding
· Medical
Hypnosis or Hypnotherapy
· Mental
Games/Exercises
Creative
Practices
· Journaling,
Therapeutic Letter Writing, Gratitude Journal
· Singing/Music
· Music/Sound
Therapy, Deep Listening, and Singing
· Contemplative
Arts/Art Therapy
Service
Activities
· Volunteer
· Simplicity
· Pilgrimage,
vigils, marches
Relational
Practices
· Counseling
and Therapy
· Compassionate
Communication
· Support
Groups
· Faith
Groups
· Storytelling/
Life review
· Pet
Therapy
Body
Kinetic Practices/Activities
· Exercise
and Aquatic Therapy
· Yoga/Stretching
· Tai
Chi and Qigong
· Acupuncture
· Deep
Yawning Meditation
· Laughter
Therapy/Laughter Yoga
· Dance
· Walking
Meditation
· Therapeutic
Massage
· Reiki/Healing
Touch
· Hippotherapy
· Float
Pods/Cabins
Rituals/Ceremonial
Practices
· Establish
a sacred/personal space
· Retreats
· Religious
or cultural ceremonies and rituals