Life, as we know it, will never be the same. That’s why resilience is an essential life skill to cultivate.

In Volume 5 of this guest series, Psychotherapist, Dr. Francis L. Battisti, and Nutritionist, Dr. Helen Battisti give us mindset tips on how to cope with irreversible change despite barriers and setbacks.

For over 10 years, they have worked closely with us on aging concerns and have presented many webinars and in-person workshops. Their newsletter, The Zone, is a weekly mental health and nutrition tip sheet during times of change.

As the Coronavirus Pandemic continues, as much as we may try to deny it, it’s becoming increasingly clear that something truly has changed, and it is not reversible. Since we are bombarded with a barrage of possibilities, we may experience a hollowness in our gut and wonder what is the next step.

Resilience, the ability to cope in spite of barriers and setbacks, is a state of mind that we have accessed before and perhaps not realized. From a child learning to walk, to overcoming the fear of going to school, to the jitters of starting a new job, or the loss of someone or something you loved, we have experienced resilience.

Key Takeaways

• The realization that some changes are not reversible.
• We may experience the feeling of helplessness in determining our next steps.
• We have developed, over the course of our lives, a storehouse of resilient practices.

Best Practices

• Be aware that we already have resilient skills and we can learn new ones.
• Reflect and take an inventory of our resilient skills.
• Stay focused on what is important, be flexible, and keep an awareness of our emotional strength.
• Pay attention to the health of our gut by including protein rich foods, daily.

Things to Limit

• Over thinking possibilities offered by the barrage of Pandemic news.
• Excesses, such as alcohol, drugs, sugar and junk foods.
• Situations that we know will make us feel less resilient.
• Negative self-talk.

In closing, it’s becoming clearer that each of us needs to identify our individual strengths of character and use them to overcome the obstacles that lie before us. Tapping into our inner wisdom needs to be our focus each day.

Quote of the Week 

“Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.” – Steve Maraboli

The paraDocs are Dr. Francis L. Battisti, PhD, Psychotherapist, Distinguished Psychology Professor and former Executive V.P. and Chief Academic Officer and, Dr. Helen E. Battisti, PhD. Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist.

We have developed The ZONE, because that is exactly where you want to be during this pandemic. A place of focused attention to doing exactly what needs to be done to get you to where you need to be. The purpose of The Zone is to provide a weekly mental-health and nutrition tip-sheet during times of change.

If you would like to subscribe to The Zone, please email info@avilainstitute.org and we will get you on the mailing list.