Being resilient as you face the pressures of life is a character trait that is often recommended. But what does resilient behavior actually look like?

In a TED Talk, Jane McGonigal described four types of resilience. She noted that people who practice these behaviors regularly tend to live longer than those who don’t.

Here are the types:

1. Physical resilience – You are physically resilient if you don’t sit still for longer than an hour at a time. You keep moving, especially when you don’t feel like it. As I age, the temptation to sit on the couch or avoid movement due to pain is high. A physically resilient person, however, works out the kinks and prioritizes physical activity.

2. Mental resilience – You are mentally resilient if you challenge your brain. Do puzzles. Play board games. Try new hobbies. Read new books. Stay engaged in work. Grow a garden. In short, mentally resilient people stay challenged.

3. Emotional resilience – You are emotionally resilient if you regularly reflect on beautiful, imaginative, or visionary things. Emotional resilience exercises our capability to dream, plan, and create. It fortifies the soul and helps us find positivity even when circumstances are grim.

4. Social resilience – When you stay in touch with others, you demonstrate social resilience. Hugs and handshakes stimulate the brain. Having a friend you look forward to seeing and taking the initiative to stay engaged are signs of social resilience.

We admire those folks who “happen to the world.” Becoming resilient is one of the ways to achieve that.

-Howe Q. Wallace Jr