Introduction:
Life spares no one from getting exposed to setbacks, bad news, or challenges. It is important how an individual processes the information, deals with it, and moves on. It is not possible to stay away from stressful or adverse situations, but one can strengthen their ability to face these challenges. Resilience is the ability to get along with tough situations by applying one’s inner strengths and indulging in support networks. Resilience prepares the individual to deal with difficult situations and maintain good mental health. Of course, resilience is not inherent in every individual but with consistent effort and training, one can boost their resilience.
What Are the Characteristics of a Resilient Person?
According to a review done in 2018, possessing greater resilience has been found to lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. It can help those in emotional distress, those having attachment issues, rumination, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD- a disorder in which an individual fails to recover after witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event). Resilient people may have the following characteristics:
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Have great ambitions.
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Be more resourceful.
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Be optimistic and hopeful.
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Have great satisfaction with their overall life.
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Find it easy to delay their fulfillment.
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Stay more connected with others in their personal life and also with others in the community.
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Find it easy to maintain emotional stability.
A resilient individual is not one who does not feel stressed but 1one who knows how to deal with it.
How to Know if a Person Is Resilient?
There are three major qualities of resilient individuals based on the three-component model of general resiliency, which are as follows:
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Engaging Actively With the Outside World: Resilient people handle tough situations boldly. When they encounter any hardships in life, they spend less time brooding over the situation, and instead, they try to bounce back from the situation and learn lessons from the incident. For example, experiencing betrayal in a relationship could be devastating. Initially, one could feel dejected and depressed. In this situation, a resilient person would move on, identify what went wrong, and use this information in the future when building a new relationship.
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Thinking of What Can Be Done Next: Resilience can enable one to recover from sudden, life-changing, or distressing situations. A resilient person will find it easier to deal with emotions and direct their thoughts on what can be done next. For example, if a particular company is running at a loss and if the company plans to lay off employees, it is common for many employees to feel stunned, dejected, and angry. However, in such a situation, a resilient person might feel frustrated initially and focus on revamping the resume and sending it out to other companies.
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Storehouse of Problem-Solving Strategies: Resilient people possess various emotional, personal, and mental problem-solving strategies. For example, in a situation like the COVID-19 pandemic, one would feel hesitant to call any person from outside to fix any issues in the house. In such situations, a resilient person would think of temporary ways to deal with the issue rather than lamenting over it.
What Are the Strategies to Build Resilience and Bounce Back From Adversity?
The following are some of the ways to build resilience:
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Accept the Distressing Emotion: Though it can be easy to say, it can be extremely difficult to accept a distressing emotion like the death of a loved one. However, one must try to accept reality and should not try to push away negative emotions. Doing so can have a reverse response, and one could end up thinking more about it. Trying to push away negative emotions can cause tension in the stomach, chest, and shoulders, resulting in chronic stress, a distraction from daily tasks, lethargy, and digestive issues.
The brain can, in fact, handle negative emotions in a more efficient way than one could imagine. Through processing and assimilating experiences, one learns to let them go and move on.
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Cognitive Reframing of the Thoughts: Cognitive reframing is based on a positive interpretation of an expected traumatic event. It challenges the individual to view the positive aspect of a tough situation rather than just focusing on the negative aspect.
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Being Proactive: One should take small steps in building resilience. It is better to be proactive instead of being reactive. One can start with what they are confident about and obtain assistance if needed. Self-empowerment is the best way to build resilience.
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Being Optimistic: One must train oneself to find good in every situation rather than thinking about the negative aspects. Optimism is when one views a glass as half full instead of half empty. One must believe that they are capable enough to overcome adversity, which in itself will help boost one’s resilience.
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Do Not Personalize Stuff: It is not worth thinking about the situation continuously or engaging in blame. One can utilize the health coping measures that had been successful previously and refrain from thinking about the unpleasant event.
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Ask For Support: When one feels that they require support, it is completely fine to take assistance. Having knowledge about the available support and the willingness to utilize such support is an indicator of prosocial behavior. Similarly, after one learns the trick, it should be transferred to those who require similar support.
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Consider the Setback or Disappointment to Be Temporary: It should be remembered that everything in life is transient be it pain, adversity, trauma, or other life-changing events. One can traverse this phase by acknowledging the fact it is temporary and that it will get better through one’s determined involvement in the healing process.
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Adopt Gratitude: Adopting gratitude and contentment in life forms a major part of resilience. The more one is grateful, the more resilient one becomes.
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Frame a New Story: This is referred to as ‘reframing’ by psychiatrists and psychologists, and it involves altering the situation and focusing on the opportunities revealed. For instance, one who had worked in a war zone would have gone through a lot of physical and psychological trauma. Instead of getting buried in the negative aspects of one’s experience, one can focus on the skills, traits, and other things learned from the situation, like empathy, problem-solving ability, a wide support network, understanding, and loving friends and family.
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Be Reminded of Other Accomplishments: The current situation may seem challenging and difficult to manage, and negativity and failures may seem inevitable. However, one must be reminded of their past accomplishments wherein they had overcome such hurdles. This instills a sense of confidence that one has bounced back from adversity previously, and it is possible to do the same again.
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Engage Spiritually: Religion and spirituality have been found to be predictors of resilience in numerous populations, including those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), patients coping with chronic pain, children and adults who face abuse or violence, and trauma sufferers. Prayer, self-reflection, and connecting with a higher power aid in the healing process and are beneficial to many individuals who would otherwise indulge in negative coping behaviors like drinking and substance abuse.
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Coping Resources: One can deal with stress, depression, anxiety, and other physical, psychological, and emotional conditions by doing meditation, exercise, and mindful yoga as this helps relax the mind. One can also indulge in activities they like, such as reading, painting, singing, dancing, listening to music, and so on. It is also important to eat a balanced meal rich in vegetables and fruits. Unhealthy eating habits can induce a negative mood.
What Are the Limitations of Resilience?
Resilience is not a resource that can be obtained unlimitedly. Extreme emotional distress, exhaustion, and pain can have an impact even on the most resilient person. That is why it is important to rest physically and emotionally after encountering a tough time. Lingering too long in a stressful situation can make the body and the mind trapped in that situation. The toxic stress response can eventually deteriorate one’s long-term resilience. Toxic stress can result in the following:
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Difficulty thinking or concentrating.
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A quicker, more intense response to stressors.
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Finding it difficult to express or experience emotions.
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Getting anxious over changes that occur that otherwise would not affect the individual.
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Difficulty managing impulses.
It is important to build resilience but it cannot solve all problems in life, especially those caused by external factors like racism, abuse, and other types of inequality and injustice.
Conclusion:
Distressing and stressful situations cannot be avoided, but the decision to bounce back or fall prey to the situation depends on the individual. Being resilient helps one to muster the inner strength that will aid one to rebound from adverse situations like an illness, the loss of a loved one, a disaster, or losing a job. Having poor resilience can make one brood over the problems, feel victimized and anxious, or resort to unhealthy coping behaviors like drinking substance abuse, or risky behaviors. Resilience will not resolve the issues but can help one handle stress and find enjoyment in life. Resilience can be built by following the tips mentioned above.
