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Strengthening resilience in times of COVID-19


Steffanie Hornstein - 30/11/2020 - 0 comments

In psychology, resilience is understood as the ability to overcome traumatic situations and problems and come out of them stronger and with more energy.

The Covid-19 pandemic affects every single one of us, more or less seriously, depending on the circumstances and environment we live in. We have all had to accept the restrictions and changes associated with it, and still do, and there are many unanswered questions regarding the course of the pandemic. The unknown often causes feelings of uncertainty and anxiety.

It is therefore feasible to say that we humans are currently all experiencing a traumatic situation. As a result, we should do more to collectively strengthen our resilience and our resistance so that we all come out of it stronger and with better answers.

Tips to increase your resilience in everyday life:

Turn basic prevention measures into a routine. At the same time, it is important to be aware that by following these measures, we are actively protecting ourselves. By looking after ourselves, we are increasing our resilience by giving ourselves the feeling that we have control over a situation that we may believe is not manageable.

Resilienz Widerstandskräfte

Take care of others. We should make sure we look after the people around us. Once we are past the initial phase of selfishness and self-pity and start helping and caring for others, then we build confidence in our own powers, create a feeling of community and help to overcome loneliness. This is one of the positive effects of the pandemic that we should now promote and continue in the future, too. Civil commitment, the willingness to donate, sharing knowledge and experience altruistically … all these things bring us closer together and create a spirit of community.

Take deep breaths. In moments of anxiety, breathing is an important ally to regain our inner balance. Breathing is fundamental and at the same time an effective instrument to reduce anxiety. So take a minute to close your eyes and focus your entire attention on the air entering and leaving your lungs. Breathing can help prevent anxiety attacks, in just the same way as breathing wrongly can trigger them. Learn to meditate, take part in a mindfulness seminar, practice yoga … They may be new to many of us, but these activities strengthen our resilience – even if we only devote five minutes of the day to them.

Remember, OUR LIFE IS IN CONSTANT FLUX, and this difficult period will also pass. In the history of mankind, there have been wars, pandemics, famine …, they all started and they were all over at some point. Just remembering that there is a time for and an end to everything gives us hope.

Life has its good and bad moments. If we take this thought to heart, we can put the bad things into perspective and enjoy the good things more, because we know that nothing stays as it is.

How do we strengthen resilience at Buchinger Wilhelmi?

During fasting, the body develops its self-healing powers. This alone makes it more resistant to illnesses. If we devote our time and our consciousness beyond this to boosting our spirit, then we multiply the positive effects of fasting.
Traditionally, fasting comprises three dimensions: a physical dimension (abstaining from food), a social dimension (giving alms) and a spiritual dimension (prayer). If we practice fasting in all three dimensions, we experience a truly beneficial inner change – something that Dr. Buchinger called “metanoia”.
That is the goal we pursue at our Buchinger Wilhelmi clinics, to ensure that our patients’ healing process is as comprehensive as possible, not only on a physical, but also on a spiritual and emotional level.

 

 

  1. Physical and medical dimension: abstaining from food. During fasting, self-healing processes are triggered in the body. As a result, blood glucose levels stabilize, cholesterol levels drop, the body loses fat in a natural way, and our cells are regenerated in-depth. All this helps to boost our immune system so that we are better protected against disease. To support this effect, we offer various therapies and activities to alleviate complaints and improve the constitution.
  2. Social dimension: giving alms. Today, we understand “giving alms” above all as caring for others. When we fast, we feel good, and this feeling of well-being helps us open up to others, convey our feelings and listen to theirs. These special moments of community and solidarity are also experienced by patients in our clinics, and often result in true friendships. This feeling of community, of belonging, which is reinforced by the care given by our employees, also boosts our resilience. We encourage discussions, group activities and informal meetings between patients so that they can share their experience.
  3. Spiritual and emotional dimension: prayer. This is not necessarily about religion, but rather about spirituality and communication with one’s inner self. The particular circumstances of fasting enable us to direct our attention away from everyday things and towards making contact with ourselves and connecting with our inner feelings. Fasting is the ideal opportunity to take stock of everything we have experienced and to search for ways to change things we are unsatisfied with in a realistic and sensible way. To this end, we offer our patients a number of psychological and spiritual therapies and sources of inspiration geared to their mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.

More about how to strengthen your Resilience can be found in our Corona Playlist on YouTube