Girl smiling wearing a hoody, denim jacket and glasses standing against a blue background.
When we are resilient, we are able to cope with stressful events which happen in our lives.

Bouncing Back

Our resilience is also often described as our ability to ‘bounce back’. There are lots of things that we can do to help us become resilient. It is something we can all work on and get better at.

Developing our resilience

At the moment, everyone is trying to cope with the changes which Covid-19 has brought to the world. This might seem hard at times – and this is totally understandable.

You might be feeling lots of different emotions at the moment. You might be feeling more stressed or anxious, or perhaps you find yourself getting angry with people or crying more than normal. That’s ok.

Being resilient means finding ways to manage these feelings, to help you get through this and any other challenges which might come your way.

At Childline, we like to thank of resilience in terms of ‘I Have, I Can and I Am’.

If you can put even one or two of these statements into action for you, that’s great!

  • Who do 'I Have' in my life that I can talk to if I need to? This can be a trusted friend, family member or Childline.
  • What is it that 'I Can' do to help myself feel better? What can I control and what can I not control?
  • What is it that 'I Am' already good at? What are my positive qualities? I can use these now to help me.
The good thing about facing challenges in this way is that it can help us find ways to bounce back. There are some other good things you can do to help build up your resilience – it is really good to try to keep them up at the moment.

Connect

Spend time with people. Stay in touch with family and friends. This might be by chatting to them over the phone, or online.

Have Confidence

Have confidence in yourself. Think of all the things you are good at. This will help you feel positive about yourself and focus your mind on all that is great about you.

Bust Stress

If you know what helps you to cope with stress, use this technique when you need it. This might be listening to music, kicking a ball, going for a walk or a cycle, talking to a friend or family member or drawing a picture.

Do Something Nice

Do something nice for someone. This may help you feel happy and helpful. You could even draw a picture or get some decorations and leave them in your windows to spread a smile to anyone passing by.

Get Support

Remember, it is ok to feel sad or upset at times. There is support available for you. Is there a trusted adult you can speak with about how you’re feeling? Remember, Childline is always here to listen.

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