Adults Are Sharing Life Truths They Weren’t Prepared For And Here Are 30 Of Them

To learn how to cultivate resilience in the face of modern challenges, we spoke with Joyce Marter, a licensed psychotherapist, successful entrepreneur, author, and avid advocate of mental health. With over two decades of experience helping individuals, government agencies, and Fortune 500 companies, Marter shared her insights on resilience-building techniques:

"Practice mindfulness strategies such as breath work, meditation, yoga, or unplugging from technology and connecting with nature," she told Bored Panda. "Mindfulness helps us detach from our egos (our minds) and connect with our essence (our spirit, soul, or authentic self), which helps us to drop the defensiveness and cultivate acceptance and resilience—the ability to move through challenges, bounce back and persevere."

"Healthy detachment is a mindfulness practice where we cultivate healthy separation from our emotions, the negative emotions of others, expectation and outcome so that we can respond consciously instead of reacting emotionally. Having a growth mindset fosters resilience because we view challenges as opportunities for growth and development."

Marter, author of The Financial Mindset Fix: A Mental Fitness Program for an Abundant Life, suggested these everyday tips and habits to keep your mental well-being in check:

1) Establish a Morning Wellness Routine. "Instead of reaching for your phone and checking your social media, emails, or the news, establish a wellness routine each morning," the psychotherapist advised. "Take at least 10-15 minutes to stretch, meditate, do a short yoga practice, journal, pray or set your intentions for the day. This will help your mind and body ease into the day and set you up for success."

2) Practice Good Self-Care. "Be your own good parent and take care of yourself as you would somebody whom you love very much," Marter said. "Ensure proper nutrition, hydration, rest, exercise, and leisure activities. Sleep, diet, and exercise are key in promoting mental health. Ask your doctor to check your vitamin D levels and thyroid functioning, as these often affect our mental wellbeing."

3) Replace Your Inner Saboteur with Positive Affirmations. The psychotherapist said we can practice cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) by remaining aware of our self-talk, especially when our Inner Saboteur takes over and puts us down, triggering negativity. "Replace this self-sabotage with self-forgiveness, self-compassion, and self-affirmation."

4) Become Your Own Best Advocate. "Embrace your worth and live authentically in alignment with who you are at the core," Joyce Marter continued. "Communicate assertively, demonstrating respect for self and others, and set healthy boundaries at home and work. Negotiate to improve your financial health."

5) Access Support. "Nurture your support network like a garden—plant seeds for new relationships, nurture the ones that you cherish, and weed out toxic relationships. Ask for the specific help you need from a person in your network who is capable of providing it. Seek counseling or therapy as a routine and preventative form of healthcare, like going to the dentist or the doctor," the psychotherapist said.

According to some estimates, just 4.3 percent of people have no health problems. Additionally, 1 in every 8 people in the world live with a mental disorder. At a certain point, our burden can become too heavy to handle on our own.

Marter highlighted the following as common signs that we might benefit from seeing a therapist, counselor, or other external support:

1. Physical, cognitive, and emotional signs of stress;
2. Difficulty sleeping;
3. Changes in weight or appetite;
4. Symptoms of burnout, such as feeling overwhelmed, fatigued, apathetic, irritable, frustrated, or unmotivated;
5. Low self-esteem;
6. Panic attacks;
7. Thoughts about self-harm or harming others;
8. Substance misuse;
9. Disordered eating behaviors;
10. Decreased functioning at home or work;
11. Social isolation or withdrawal;
12. Interpersonal conflicts at home or work.

However, it's important to remember that "we shouldn't wait to see a therapist or counselor until we are suffering," Marter said. "We wouldn't wait to see a dentist until our teeth start falling out. See a counselor proactively and preventatively for a wellness checkup, just like you would go to the dentist or the doctor for an annual screening."