RESILIENCE – By r0lly
What is a Resilience?
Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or even significant sources of stress – such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors. It means “bouncing back” from difficult experiences.
Resilience is not a trait that people either have or do not have. It involves behaviors, thoughts, and actions that can be learned and developed in anyone.
Here are the most common characteristics of being resilient:
•Ability to “bounce back” and “recover from almost anything”
•Have a “where there's a will, there's a way” attitude
•Tendency to see problems as opportunities
•Ability to “hang tough” when things are difficult
•Capacity for seeing small windows of opportunity and making the most of them.
•Have a deep-rooted faith in a system of meaning
•Have a healthy social support network
•Have the ability to competently handle most different kinds of situations
•Have a wide comfort zone
•Have “grit”, or tenaciousness and perseverance, they will not give up
•Have flexibility
Ways to build resilience:
1.Make connections. Good relationships with close family members, friends, or others are important. Accepting help and support from those who care about you and will listen to you strengthens resilience.
2.Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems. You can't change the fact that highly stressful events happen, but you can change how you interpret and respond to these events.
3.Accept that “change” is a part of living. Certain goals may no longer be attainable as a result of adverse situations. Accepting circumstances that cannot be changed can help you focus on circumstances that you can alter. Develop some realistic goals.
4.Take decisive actions. Act on adverse situations as much as you can. Take decisive actions, rather than detaching completely from problems and stresses and wishing they would just go away.
5.Look for opportunities for self-discovery. People often learn something about themselves and may find that they have grown in some respect as a result of their struggle with loss.
6.Nurture a positive view of yourself. Developing confidence in your ability to solve problem and trusting your instincts helps build resilience.
7.Keep things in perspective. Even when facing very painful events, try to consider the stressful situation in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective. Avoid blowing the event out of proportion.
8.Maintain a hopeful outlook. An optimistic outlook enables you to expect that good things will happen in your life. Try visualizing what you want, rather than worrying about what you fear.
9.Take care of yourself. Pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Engage in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly. Taking care of yourself helps to keep your mind and body primed to deal with situation that require resilience.
Learning from your past
Focusing on past experiences and sources of personal strength can help you learn about what strategies for building resilience might work for you. By exploring answers to the following questions about yourself and your reactions to challenging life events, you may discover how you can respond effectively to difficult situations in your life.
Consider the following:
•What kinds of events have been most stressful for me?
•How have those events typically affected me?
•Have I found it helpful to think of important people in my life when I am distressed?
•To whom have I reached out for support in working through a traumatic or stressful experience?
•What have I learned about myself and my interactions with others during difficult times?
•Has it been helpful for me to assist someone else going through a similar experience?
•Have I been able to overcome obstacles, and if so, how?
•What has helped make me feel more hopeful about the future?
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