Developing Resilience in Midlife and Beyond

In midlife, resilience changes, especially for women. We face challenges--both expected and unexpected--that we are truly not prepared for. In this stage of our lives, we may:

• have more time, or different time constraints, as our children get older and move away, or a spouse or partner retires
• relate differently with family or friends, particularly with adult children or long-time partners
• find our passion for our career waning--leading to the desire to make a move professionally--or--ready to embark on a new career after being at home
• look in the mirror wondering who we are as our bodies change with age

Any all of these shifts--no matter how planned--create difficult situations--testing our resilience in new and unforeseen ways.

What can we do to continue to grow our resilience in midlife and beyond?

Create a mindfulness practice. Mindfulness is one of the easiest holistic practices that anyone can incorporate into their lives. At its core, mindfulness is bringing yourself to the present--even for a moment--to ground or reduce stress and anxiety. Try this simple exercise the next time you feel you are becoming too caught up in the past or worrying about the future.

Close your eyes or soften your gaze. Take three deep breaths, pausing at the top of the inhale and at the bottom of the exhale. Take three more breaths, imagining any stress, anxiety, or worry as dense clouds exiting your body as you exhale. Take three final breaths, imagining calm, peaceful fluffy clouds entering your body to bring you into the presence.

Make a habit of gratitude. Numerous studies have proven that a gratitude practice brings joy, acceptance, and presence to our lives--among many other benefits. Gratitude is more than simply saying thank you--this practice is allows us to examine what is happening in our lives that bring us joy--then spurring us into action to change what is not.

Bringing gratitude into your life can be as simple as writing down--or saying aloud--three things you feel gratitude for each day. Over time, you can add depth and breadth to this practice through extended journaling, creating your own affirmations, or making gratitude lists with loved ones.

Move. While mindfulness and gratitude can create emotional resilience, physical resilience is also extremely important. Moving your body--in any way that makes you happy--is key to building resilience in our bodies as we are losing hormones, bone mass, or collagen--among other post-menopausal changes in our bodies. Moving can vary from an easy stroll around the to running a marathon. The important point is to MOVE.

Moving every day seems so simple--yet most of us sit way too much. Often unrealistic goals or plans get in the way of our movement. When choosing an exercise plan, pick something that you ENJOY! Listen to your body. You are much more likely to embrace the movement if you feel good while you are moving. Choose one type of movement that you enjoy--and schedule 10 minutes in your calendar this week to move!

Often we consider resilience as something we are born with--or not. While some people do handle change or stress seemingly well, we all can use these skills to improve our resilience--beginning wherever you are!

Choose one of these simple practices you can embrace today. Every small step you take to build your resilience will build over time—allowing you to face the unexpected that accompanies midlife and beyond with joy and presence.