5 Ways to Strengthen Resilience in 2026
There’s a lot in life we can’t control.
The world around us is full of chaos, and we all will experience distressing or difficult things, whether on a personal level, or on a more global level. Sometimes there’s traffic that makes us late for an important meeting or appointment. Sometimes there’s a global pandemic that fundamentally shifts our culture. Either way, there’s not a thing we can do about it - except maybe build our resilience, so that we can weather the storm a little easier next time it comes.
What is resilience?
Resilience is “an individual’s ability to positively cope with stress and adversity – bouncing back to a previous state of normal functioning, or using the experience of adversity to enhance flexibility and overall functioning.”
Resilience is what helps us adapt when life hands us a setback. Being resilient doesn’t mean that nothing bad will ever happen to you. That’s a guarantee that’s just not possible in life. Rather, being resilient means that you have the skills to navigate and grow through tough moments in life instead of letting them trip you up.
Think about the last time something bad happened in your life. Were you able to bounce back, or did you struggle for some time afterward? There are a ton of factors that go into what went into that, but one of them is your level of resilience.
How can resilience help?
The world is often a frightening place, and there are a lot of things that we can’t do anything about. One thing we can do to make life a little better and easier for ourselves is to work on strengthening our resilience, so that we can more easily deal with the tough situations that life throws at us. Increasing your resilience can also help you improve your relationships, feel more confident in yourself, and work toward your goals.
Resilience isn’t static. There might be times in your life where you’re more resilient, and other times where you’re less resilient. You can improve this skill over time, and learn to become more resilient with practice. If you’re looking for a way to improve your life in 2026, building your resilience is a great way to start.
Here are 5 ways to strengthen resilience in 2026:
Connect to others
One of the best ways to increase your overall resilience is to increase your social connections to others. Making an effort to build relationships with other people can help you feel connected to people who understand you, and find support in difficult times. We all need a community, even when we’d prefer to stay isolated.
There are tons of ways to connect with other people IRL, even in our increasingly online world! Try volunteering for a cause that you care about, or joining a group that has a mutual interest that intrigues you. There are always groups on Meetup or Eventbrite, or even on social media. Whatever your interests are, there are people out there for you.
Get comfortable with change
Change is inevitable, and the harder we fight it, the more distressing it becomes. The more we can learn to embrace change in our everyday lives, the easier it will be for us to deal with big changes when they come. When you realize that you can handle small changes with ease, you’ll feel more confident in your ability to deal with big changes the next time you have to deal with one, even if it’s one that you’re not happy about.
Look for meaning
A key skill that resilient people have is that they seek meaning in their lives. This means that they develop and work toward goals, they consider the things that are important to them and why, they explore the things that matter to them, they seek answers to the questions they have in life, they help other people.
There are endless opportunities to find meaning in our lives, and resilient people take advantage of those opportunities to look for meaning. Explore ways to find meaning in your life, like reflecting on your skills, strengths, talents, and interests; learning about religion and spirituality; finding ways to help others; or even just keeping a gratitude journal.
Take care of yourself
Self-care is actually about making sure that your needs are being met so that you’re able to put your best foot forward, not about luxurious skin care or spending money. A key aspect of being able to cope when upsetting things happen is to already be well resourced- and that includes taking care of your basic needs, like making sure you’re getting enough to eat, hydrating, getting quality sleep, and moving your body regularly.
Think positively
We’ve all been there, but when you get stuck thinking negatively about everything, it really influences the way you view the world. Try to shift your thinking back to positivity when you can, because it really makes a difference. Notice the beautiful things around you. Admire when someone does something good. Try to stay optimistic even when it feels silly. Sometimes a little shift in perspective can make a big difference in how you feel about the world.
