You At Your Best

Much like an athlete needs to build physical resilience to avoid injury, it's important to build mental resilience to handle life's setbacks. "Mental resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties," says Dr. Kristin Markell of Washington Regional's Integrative Gynecology Clinic. "It's the ability to bounce back after adversity." Markell, who provides gynecology appointments as well as integrative health consultations and personalized care plans for women, specializes in using both traditional and alternative medicine techniques to help patients improve their overall health. "While we can't control the things that happen to us, mental resilience can help us keep things in perspective," she says. In addition to helping us feel more satisfied with our lives, resilience can reduce our risk of depression and anxiety disorders. Some people are born with the natural optimism and self-confidence that boost resiliency; however, if genetics are not on your side, you can still learn to build mental resilience. Markell offers these tips: Self-care – The first step toward building mental resilience is taking care of your body's needs: • Sleep – "Sleep affects stress, anxiety, mood, hormones and much more," she says. • Nutrition – "Food has been used as medicine for centuries. Know which foods cause you to feel lethargic and which foods enhance your focus and energy." • Movement – "Keeping our bodies active is not only good for us physically, but mentally as well," Markell says. "There lots of options for staying active. Just taking a 15-minute break to dance to your favorite songs can help!" Self-awareness – "Living according to your personal values and beliefs has been linked to higher mental resilience," Markell says. It's OK to draw boundaries with others, she adds. Remembering to do so with compassion and grace can make setting these limits easier. Mindfulness – "This may be as simple as taking three deep belly breaths before eating a meal or listening to a 15-minute guided meditation on a meditation app," Markell says. For those who prefer face- to-face instruction, check with local yoga studios to see if they offer meditation classes. Social connections – "Surround yourself with supportive people," Markell says, "and set aside some time to support others." If you're feeling particularly stressed, take a moment to send a supportive text message to someone you care about or to someone who is going through a difficult time themselves. Doing this can change your own physiological response to a stressor and support your resiliency. Creativity – Delving into something that will express your creativity can help build mental resilience as well. Draw, paint, write, cook, play, laugh or dance. Developing a healthy approach to adversity takes time. Many people find they benefit from talking with a mental health provider, support group or spiritual group. "If you think you need more help in learning to build mental resilience, talk with your health care provider about resources that may be available," Markell says. To learn more about Washington Regional Integrative Gynecology Clinic, visit www.wregional.com/integrativegyn, or call 479-404-4900. spOnsOR COntent www.wRegIoNAl.coM "While we can't control the things that happen to us, mental resilience can help us keep things in perspective." ~ Dr. Kristin Markel Building resilience mental sunDaY, MaY 29, 2022 | June - Mental HealtH YOuatYOuRBest.nWaOnline.COM | YOu at YOuR Best | 9

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