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3 Ideas for Building Emotional Resilience

By Derek Hagey and Glenn Schiraldi

Family Services, Resilience Consultant

These three easy ideas can help you start—or continue—building emotional resilience.

three women standing together and laughing

It is never too late to start—or continue—working on your emotional resilience. As Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught, God “made your spirit strong and capable of being resilient to the whirlwinds of life.” But if you find yourself being easily distressed by challenges in your life, which can happen to all of us from time to time, here are a few skills you can practice to experience more resilience in your life:

1. Strengthen your personal relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Engage in spiritual practices like prayer and scripture study that help you feel closer to Heavenly Father, and remember your eternal identity as His child. Believe in Jesus Christ, receive strength through Him through His Atonement, and feel His love for you. Find strength through your covenants and the priesthood power they bring into your life as you live worthily.

2. Develop strong relationships. Build meaningful relationships where you can feel connected to other people who strengthen you along the covenant path. And remember that your worth is inherent and based on your identity as a son or daughter of God, not on what others think of you. When getting ready to interact with others, try this brief reflection from Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “Wow, look at me! I am awesome! I am a child of God! He knows me! He loves me! I am gifted—gifted with the Holy Ghost as my constant companion!” Then, remember the wonderful characteristics God has already blessed you with, and relax and be yourself.

3. Practice thinking celestial. When things get difficult, our perspective often becomes limited, and we start focusing on the current moment of distress. By “thinking celestial,” we are able to remember the current struggle is only for a short period of time.

President Russell M. Nelson shared: “The very things that will make your mortal life the best it can be are exactly the same things that will make your life throughout all eternity the best it can be! Today, to assist you to qualify for the rich blessings Heavenly Father has for you, I invite you to adopt the practice of ‘thinking celestial’! …

“When you make choices, I invite you to take the long view—an eternal view.”

Additional Resources

To learn more about developing emotional resilience, enroll in the self-reliance course “Finding Strength in the Lord: Emotional Resilience” (talk to your ward or branch leaders for more information).

To learn about some of the benefits of taking time to ponder and reflect in our lives, read “The Power of Quiet Moments.”

For help with talking to your children about emotional resilience, see “6 Ideas for Talking about Emotional Resilience with Children.”

Notes

1. Neil L. Andersen, “Spiritual Whirlwinds,” Liahona, May 2014, 18.

2. See General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3.5, 3.6, Gospel Library.

3. Gary E. Stevenson, “Promptings of the Spirit,” Liahona, Nov. 2023, 45.

4. Russell M. Nelson, “Think Celestial!” Liahona, Nov. 2023, 117.

5. Russell M. Nelson, “Think Celestial!,” 117, 118.