Five tips to build resilience

Resilience is the capacity to quickly recover from and cope with adverse circumstances and to view them as opportunities to become stronger. It is one of many methods physicians can use to respond to the pressures that cause burnout.

To cultivate resilience and gain internal power, five habits can help:

1. Focus on accomplishing the activities and roles that are most important to you.
2. Renew your energy by incorporating activities you enjoy into your day.
3. Connect with family, friends, or colleagues regularly so that, when a crisis hits, you have a support system.
4. Practice self-regulation by being aware of your feelings during stressful situations and choosing how to respond.
5. Speak out when you feel anxious, depressed, marginalized, or abused, and when you see others who are suffering and need an advocate.

Adapted from "Five Ways to Cultivate Resilience.”