As we look forward to a year of new beginnings, it is good practice to take stock and set goals for enhancing your mental wellness. Mental wellness is all about acting, feeling and thinking in ways that benefit your well-being. It allows you to cope with challenges, be productive in tasks and contribute to those around you.

A good way to do so is by developing our resilience, defined as the ability to adapt well and become stronger after something bad happens. Most of us have a base resilience in what is known as our initial resilience bank. Fortunately, resilience is not a fixed trait, and we can learn to increase our resilience bank.

THE RESILIENCE CHECKUP gives an indication of our starting point, which we can use to track our progression as we practise resilience skills. It is not a diagnostic tool. Try it out — on a scale of 0 to 10, rate how much you believe each of the following statements. A rating of 0 means you do not believe it at all, and 10 means you think it is completely true.

A higher score (towards 220) would reflect higher resilience. Consider which statements you would like to focus on to guide you in increasing your resilience skills.

Adopted from Schiraldi G. R. (2017) The Resilience Workbook: Essential Skills to Recover from Stress, Trauma and Adversity. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.

Communicate and Connect

We may not always be able to meet face-to-face but it is vital to maintain human connections. Make time to do so regularly. Technology can prove useful in reaching out to family and friends.

Exercise

Exercise enables your body to release endorphins which make you feel positive and uplifted. Studies have also shown that through exercise, the brain receives enough oxygen to help alleviate depression and anxiety.

Pause before Acting

If you are feeling overwhelmed by uncertainties, pause to reflect before jumping into action. It is important to stay grounded and open to feedback when working through challenges.

Focus on the Positives

When we are not in our comfort zone or meet with obstacles in our relationships or work, remember to deploy positive communication, seek help from others where necessary and even pick up new skills along the way.