When it comes to building your emotional resilience, nothing does more good than maintaining a positive outlook and regularly expressing gratitude. These two actions have been shown to decrease anxiety, reduce symptoms of illness, and improve the quality of your sleep. But it’s not enough to be optimistic and say “thank you” a lot. You can increase the effect of these activities by keeping a record of your positive interactions, events, and memories. Maintain a simple list of things you’re grateful for or are looking forward to in a paper notebook, or enter them into a spreadsheet. There are even digital gratitude journals you can download and use. Find a regular time — say, first thing in the morning or at the end of the workday — to review and add to these records. Studies have shown that doing so builds your resilience.
Adapted from "How to Evaluate, Manage, and Strengthen Your Resilience," by David Kopans
