resilience

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from difficult experiences. It is the ability to readily recover from the experience of tragedy, significant sources of stress, illness, depression and adversity. It is the ability to find solutions in a crisis. It is about seeing what has occurred as an opportunity and not a disaster .

Is resilience fixed? Research suggests it is not. Developing resilience however is a personal journey. What works for one person may not work for another. The key is identifying what will work well for you. There are many ways to do this. Here are a few:

a.   Don’t Go It Alone – build and use your support networks. Good relationships with close family members, friends or others is important. They are associated with higher levels of happiness as well as being sources of emotional support, physical assistance and information. They can provide different perspectives on a problem and help with problem solving.

b.  Nurture a Positive View of Yourself – Have a healthy sense of your own skills and self-worth. Develop your skills. Build mastery. Select a couple of things you are good at and learn to do them better. Practice builds confidence and confidence builds positive self-regard.

c.   Accept That Change Is Part of Living – Accepting circumstances that are outside of your control or that cannot be changed can help you to focus on circumstances that you can alter. Welcome positive change, be flexible and willing to adapt.

d.  Move Towards Your Goals – Goals provide purpose meaning and direction. They play a key role in wellbeing. Focus your energy. Do something regularly – even if it seems like a small accomplishment – that makes you move towards fulfilling your goals.

e.  Change Your Attitude – Do you expect the worst? Do you see crises as insurmountable? How you think influences how you feel and in turn how you behave. Whilst you can’t change the fact that highly stressful events happen, you can change how you interpret and respond to these events. Your response is your choice. Consider viewing the situation as a challenge, an opportunity to improve your skillset rather than an insurmountable disaster. Employ your problem solving skills. Keep things in perspective.

f.   Take Decisive Actions – Take responsibility. Be proactive. Act on adverse situations rather than detaching completely from them and wishing they would just go away.

g.  Look for Opportunities for Self-discovery – if you are going through some type of adversity, what are you learning? Have you grown as a person despite the circumstances? Many people who have experienced tragedies, hardships and other difficult circumstances have reported better relationships, a greater sense of strength, increased-self-worth, increased empathy, a more developed spirituality and a heightened appreciation of life.

h.   Maintain a Hopeful Outlook – Resilient people don’t believe they can succeed at everything they attempt the first time. They don’t see failure as final. It does not define them. They understand that achieving something worthwhile may take many attempts. Resilient people are determined. They embody a growth mindset.

i.   Take Care of Yourself – Pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Be self-compassionate. It is positively associated with equanimity, happiness, optimism and positive affect. Get sufficient rest. Engage in activities you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly. Taking care of yourself helps to keep your mind and body primed to deal with situations that require resilience