In this article, JJ Virgin covers the importance of having a resilient mindset and her top tips to build your own.
About JJ Virgin: JJ is a triple board-certified nutrition expert and Fitness Hall of Famer. She’s a prominent TV and media personality, with appearances on PBS, Dr. Oz, Rachel Ray, Access Hollywood, and The Today Show. She’s the author of four New York Times bestsellers.
A couple of years ago, JJ’s oldest son was in a terrible hit and run and was left for dead on the side of the street. Doctors told her that he only had a 0.2% chance of survival. JJ took those odds, and today, her son is fully recovered. Listen to her story here.
(This article is derived from a previous podcast episode with JJ Virgin.)
The Importance Of A Resilient Mindset
When faced with adversity, it’s customary to freeze and end up spending hours crying and worrying about the outcome. However, this will not serve you or those around you.
So how should you show up?
You need to build a resilient mindset to help you cope with the adverse events you’ll inevitably experience in your life.
There are several keys to building a healthy and resilient mindset:
- Surround yourself with people who encourage, support, and help you grow. Try to keep the time you spend with people who drag you down to a minimum.
- Accept that you cannot change the circumstances, only the way you show up to them
- Accept that there are no limitations or right or wrong. Start asking questions if you feel there are things you want to change
- There are no victims, only volunteers. If you don’t like your circumstances, then start looking for ways to make it and yourself better
- Count your blessings. Start looking for the small miracles every day and see if you can find those minor improvements
- Stop watching the news. This causes a lot of stress and drags you down
By working on these steps above, you will gradually see a change in your emotional state.
Key Point: Your mindset is essential to overcoming the significant, unforeseen stressors in life. By following the 6-step process above, you are well on your way to building a resilience mindset.
The Best Time To Build A Resilient Mindset
When you want to develop a resilient mindset, trying to create it while you are under stress can be counterproductive. This is because you as a person, while under pressure – are likely to follow the patterns and habits you have established.
The impact of an experience depends on your current mindset levels. JJ explains; “I remember back when I was working one on one with clients, I had one gal who was so stressed out and having so many challenges. Her daughter was getting Bar Mitzvah’d. That was her big stress, her big challenge.”
The stressor doesn’t need to be a big thing. It could be someone cutting you off at a red light and how you respond to that. It is during these small events that you have a golden opportunity to change your mindset and how you show up when these occur.
The best time to build your mindset is when your stress levels are low – when there are no events that could cause stress. For JJ, the change came gradually as she started listening to people who had already developed the mindset and habits she wanted.
Key point: Trying to build your mindset and develop resilience while under what you consider to be high stress – is hard and nearly impossible. The better alternative is to try to change your response and attitude to small everyday life occurrences that have the potential to cause stress for you.
