Resilience Diagnostic Support

The following guideline is short introduction to on how to work with the results of your Resilience Diagnostic report.

Cautionary notes:
All subjective assessments must be read with caution and interpreted with respect for the participant’s situation. If you have concerns, particularly about depression and distress, please see a qualified professional. Resilience practices should not replace any current medical treatment without the agreement of your doctor. This material is covered comprehensively in our Practical Resilience Books.

Understanding your Report and your Ratio
Our approach to Resilience is integral, evidence-based and practical. It helps you understand and enjoy the depth of your life. The Resilience Ratio gives you a perspective on how your Resilience Assets may balance your Resilience Liabilities. Both are normal and always present to some degree. A high Resilience Ratio is better. Aim to lift your ratio to more than 3:1.

1. Awareness and Self Knowledge
a. The Death Spiral maps how Resilience fails and therefore how to Bounce Back and Thrive on Challenge
b. Resilience integrates body, heart, mind and spirit to achieve your goals and make a difference

2. Skill and Mastery
a. At each level of Resilience there are well tested practices which can help us transcend from lower to higher levels
b. The key to sustainable Resilience is to embed the right practices for you into every day of your life.

3. Alignment
a. In the top half of Resilience we discover a whole new perspective on life, self, purpose and authenticity.
b. Spirit in Action is the discovery of your unique potential and positive engagement.

The Resilience Diagnostic helps you develop Awareness and Self Knowledge and the following suggestions may help you develop the Skills and Mastery to build your Resilience by eliminating suffering and liberating your potential.

Reducing Resilience Liabilities (Risks)

Tackling Depression
Recovery begins with recognition and acceptance. Denial and “hard-man stonewalling” is the greatest obstacle. Get help!. Start with your family doctor and make sure you have enough time to understand the options. Do not be afraid to seek alternative opinions. You must be comfortable and supportive of your treatment plan.

1. Time, patience and the good work of nature
2. SSRI or other anti-depressant medication
3. Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)
4. Support groups and counselling
5. Lifestyle rejuvenation

Recovery usually begins within 10 days to three weeks and after 6 months of normal function you might consider yourself recovered. There is strong support for well-structured lifestyle discipline right from the beginning. Stop alcohol and drugs. While it can be hard to motivate oneself in depression, find a way to get regular exercise, eat well, practice relaxation and find joy, gratitude and appreciation in your daily activities. Bounce Back article.

Dissolving Distress
The key is to understand how your body signals distress. These symptoms include: headaches, muscle pain, digestive disorders, chest pain, skin rashes, allergies, sleep disturbance, irritability and worry. These symptoms alert us to extreme overload and the beginning of body/mind failure. The goal is to have no symptoms but many of us are so used to persistent symptoms we consider them “normal” and pay little attention.

1. Deliberate, slow diaphragmatic breathing practice
2. Facilitated relaxation (massage, yoga, tai chi)
3. Daily meditation, prayer and exercise
4. Stop alcohol and drugs
5. Lifestyle rejuvenation

Reducing Vulnerability
We become vulnerable when we forget to take care of ourselves. You have to be strong to help others.

1. Take a proper holiday
2. Build exercise, good nutrition, sleep and relaxation into each day
3. Take a long weekend each month (no work, phones, e-mail)

Reconnecting from Withdrawal
Withdrawal is a natural response to overload, error and failure. It is easy to recovery from provided you reconnect with those who matter to you.

1. Talk to someone even if you have to pay
2. Connect with older and wiser people or find a coach or mentor
3. Make time for those who matter (partner, children, parents, friends)
4. Re-establish a regular ‘me time’ (shopping, friends, sport)

Re-engage Regularly
Build a daily practice of relaxation or mindfulness. Learn to take short, effective relaxation breaks during tasks, which can include:

1. Breathe with the diaphragm – low and slow
2. Regular, long exhalations followed by a pause
3. Work in short, super-focused bursts
4. Stretch breaks, sunshine, activity, coffee or protein snack

Clear the fog of Confusion

1. Focus on one task at a time
2. Delete what is not important
3. Delegate everything you can
4. Sharpen your priority list to no more than five issues

We all plunge into the spiral from time to time. This is normal and natural. Frequently, we spend longer than we need with these “liabilities” in our life. Bounce back is first, finding how to remove these liabilities from your life. Secondly, bounce back is working out how to restore optimal performance following adversity.

Building Resilience Assets

As one learns to identify, up-skill and apply your resilience assets, life becomes more fun and successful. We all recognise this fundamental truth. Resilience training helps people to build these assets. We recommend attending our Practical Resilience training or reading our books if you want to know more. Here is a short list of practices to lift your Diagnostic Ratio and help you enjoy the fruits of Resilience.

Master Stress
Learn to relax (breathing, exercise, yoga, mindfulness, prayer)
Develop a powerful practice of recovery (www.heartmath.com)

Energise Body
Get a preventative health assessment
Exercise, sleep, eat smart..

Engage Emotion
Learn about emotions and their effects
Reduce destructive emotion & build positive emotions (www.positivityratio.com)

Train Mind
Observe your thoughts (internal chatter)
Define the monkey and shoot it
Pay attention to your thoughts, speak positively

Spirit in Action
Know who you are and define your talents
Pursue your passions
Care about others