Resilience is like plasticine. It needs moulding until you get a formula that works for you. You want a formula that you can repeat so it’s indestructible. Well, most of the time…

You have to be persistent to get anywhere in life. I am an advocate of pushing yourself on a physical level as well as a mental level. The by-product of this action is resilience.Because, inevitably, you are going to drop the ball somewhere along the line and are going to have to pick it back up again.

As an actor, developing resilience comes hand in hand with the turf. After being rejected time and time again, you begin to develop an ability to pick up the ball and run and to not take it personally time and time again.

Writing down your thoughts (that is when there is a problem) I find is the best way to resilience. Firstly, it slows down your thoughts, (exactly what you want you speedy) dampening down your overactive limbic system, which calms us down. Making us feel better.

I can always find a pen even in the darkest of times. Pens are handy for resilience. They are generally around and don’t cost much.

When you begin to write, try being your own super sleuth. I like to take on of my TV hero’s Monk. He is a detective who has obsessive compulsive disorder.  He’s a man with a past who feels sad but driven to a bigger purpose. I like that. He has radar like perception and ability to think through the evidence of bad crimes really well. Detectives on TV remind me to question myself for the truth when I doubt myself.

Writing out our thoughts, challenging them, questioning, probing for the truth on sharp ended jibes we throw at ourselves is a better way. Better than getting stuck in our muck.

This way you won’t allow you brain to dwell in the negative gunk because that just breeds more negative gunk. The rotten thoughts grow on each other like a virus so best to NOT think about them and focus on asking yourself some curly questions. Get that left brain in action. Where is the evidence to say that what you think you think is true anyway? I mean come one get real.

So to build resilience, try stepping outside of yourself and be a detective. Throw questions at yourself before you fall into gunk or your very own jail cell.