Equally intriguing and challenging to define is resilience. Why does one person persevere through difficult times while another falters?
According to Pemberton (2015), research reveals that our traits, environment, and a learned capacity derived from experience all play a role in our resilience.
Resilience is unquestionably based on our capacity to overcome challenges in life, but it can also manifest in other equally adaptable ways that challenge our understanding of the concept (Neenan, 2018).
In this article, we not only provide an answer to the question of what resilience is, but we also delve deeper into the complicated but crucial idea, examining how resilience theory can enhance our comprehension and inform our practices with clients.
We thought you might like to free download our three resilience exercises before continuing. These engaging, science-based exercises will avail tools to assist your clients, students, or employees become more resilient and help you effectively deal with challenging situations.
What actually means resilience, and why is it so crucial?
Some people even thrive in the most challenging circumstances. However, they may need to learn how they overcame the obstacles (Neenan, 2018).
According to Neenan (2018), inner resilience is the foundation of good mental health and the key to success in the outside world.
The physical sciences are probably where the idea that resilience is just being able to get back up came from. After being bent or stretched, a resilient material can often return to its original state dramatically. Consider a bridge that spans a large river and keeps its integrity despite being twisted by the wind or a tiny flower that grows through concrete (Pemberton, 2015).
In a similar vein, human resilience has been defined as the “capability to remain flexible in our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors when faced with life interruption or extended periods of pressure so that we come as stronger, wiser, and more able” (Pemberton, 2015, p. 2).
Being Responsive: Meaning in Psychology: Resilient people frequently do more than bounce back.
Even a very strong or resilient person is unlikely to return to where they were before a significant event, such as a loved one’s death or an unexpectedly negative medical diagnosis.
Psychology, conversely, acknowledges that resilient individuals who experience significant life events do not always recover without difficulty; They frequently take a new route. According to Neenan (2018), even when the worst things happen, they usually bring about growth, such as
A new or reconsidered mental self-portrait
Versatile individuals become mindful of surprising capacities as they adapt to each new situation.
Enriched and clarified relationships
During difficult times, they prioritize positive relationships and ide the friends who remain and offer support, as well as those who no longer return calls or are toxic or draining.
Priorities that have been altered
A fresh perspective—possibly one that is more narrowly focused—may be able to shed light on things that are not essential while also helping to define and inspire meaningful values, objectives, and priorities for life.
A new purpose can also bolster those who are already resilient. According to Southwick & Charney (2018), page 251, “having a clear and valued purpose and fully committing to a mission can significantly strengthen one’s resilience.”
What does it mean to be mentally resilient?
Stress can harm our mental, emotional, and physical health over time. However, according to Southwick & Charney (2018), psychological resilience has the potential to shield individuals from its effects and enhance their capacity to reclaim a sense of life control.
Resilience can be defined in various ways, but psychologists generally agree that it is a multifaceted concept encompassing our capacity for adaptability and handling challenging situations. Boniwell&Tunariu (2019) go one step further and identify the following three aspects as essential to resilience:
Reconfiguration is an important aspect of the process of transformation that an individual experiences when a return to their original path is difficult or unthinkable (Boniwell&Tunariu, 2019). In contrast to recovery or resistance, reconfiguration is an essential part of the process of transformation that an individual experiences when a return to their original path is difficult or unthinkable (Boniwell&Tunariu, 2019).
Five Signs of Resilience in Life (Boniwell&Tunariu, 2019).
The following are all recognized by resilience research as both indicators and facilitators of resilience in individuals) (Neenan 2018)
1. Reframing
One can learn to cope by approaching a problem or circumstance from a new, more helpful perspective.
2. Using the power of positive emotions
These feelings help us think more broadly and come up with more creative solutions to problems. They can also boost our sense of accomplishment and our ideas of living a life with a purpose by assisting us in forming bonds with groups and individuals who are supportive.
3. Being physically active
It can help manage stress, lessen its effects, and boost confidence and self-esteem at the same time.
4. Engaging our signature strengths
It can give us a greater sense of authenticity, increase our sense of meaning, and give us more control when we face new challenges or overcome obstacles.
5. Optimism about the future
Looking forward with optimism can help us realize that setbacks are typically short-lived and can be overcome, making us feel more hopeful about the future.
When working with clients, it is essential to keep an eye out for the aforementioned useful indicators to determine whether or not they are prepared to adopt a more resilient outlook on life.
What are the ten qualities of resilience?
No one skill makes people more resilient.
Instead, it creates a supportive and growth-oriented environment, a set of tools and skills to deal with difficult times, and a resilient mindset (Boniwell&Tunariu, 2019); (2018) Neenan.
Clients can learn and practice the following ten resilience skills to help them become more resilient (Duckworth, 2016; 2015 Pemberton; 2018) (Southwick & Charney):
1. Problem-solving
It is the ability to identify, analyze, and dissect problems to generate potential solutions. The ones that work best are then chosen and put into action.
2. Setting goals
The process of setting clear, attainable goals and then taking small steps toward achieving them is called goal setting. Resilience can be improved by working toward goals, which boosts confidence and a sense of accomplishment.
3. Effective communication
It is essential to learning to express one’s needs and feelings clearly, assertively and actively listen to others.
4. Emotional regulation and stress management
Since emotional regulation is the capacity to control and manage one’s emotions healthily (Gross, 1998), specific strategies can be used to manage stress and emotions.
These include engaging in physical activity, cognitively reframing challenges and pressures as opportunities, and practicing relaxation techniques like mindfulness and deep breathing.
5. Establishing a social support network
This entails cultivating and upholding a solid network of supportive relationships with trusted friends, family members, and others.
6. Taking care of yourself
Self-care activities like getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, exercising often, and finding time for hobbies and relaxation should all help people feel and look their best.
7. Creating significance and reason throughout everyday life
This includes tracking down reason and significance throughout everyday life, whether in work, connections, or other expressly satisfying exercises.
8. Developing a growth mindset
A positive outlook can be cultivated by practicing gratitude, focusing on the positive aspects of life, reframing negative thoughts, and viewing setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth.
9. Working on mindfulness
Creating mindfulness incorporates figuring out how to grasp contemplations, feelings, and behavior to develop further reactions to stress and affliction and perceive when to seek help.
10. Healthy coping mechanisms
Positive self-talk, visualization, exercise, goal focus, social support, mindfulness, and relaxation techniques are all examples of healthy coping mechanisms.
What distinguishes some people from others in terms of resilience?
According to Neenan (2018), resilient people are typically more adaptable, open to new changes and experiences, and adopt a healthy perspective when they view setbacks as learning opportunities.
Comprehensive research into resilience has revealed several protective and positive factors that make some people more resilient over the past few decades. Good parenting, practical education, self-regulation skills, genetics, mindset, and community resources are among them (Lopez et al., 2021).
These fundamental human safeguards are likely to have aided the most resilient individuals.
Resilience is a trait that can be cultivated over time and is not a fixed trait. So let us take a look at ways to boost resilience.
How to Build Resilience
Stay Wow offers tried-and-true methods and interventions that can improve people’s mental health and resilience.
Although there are many, the following approaches can be grouped (Boniwell&Tunariu, 2019; Shapiro, 2020).
Stay Wow interventions
Active interventions
High-intensity exercise, in particular, positively affects psychological and physical wellness and reduces stress.
Reducing unhealthy behaviors like smoking and excessive alcohol consumption is also beneficial. Exercise can lay the groundwork for overcoming adversity and stress. As a way to oversee pressure, it works on your capacity to be strong.
Interventions that calm people
Mindfulness, deep breathing, and activities that relax people, like walking or doing yoga with a conscious mind, are especially good at managing problems in one’s life now and in the future.
Using a combination of methods, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy teaches clients how to accept complex thoughts, feelings, and sensations without reacting in an unhealthy or unhelpful way.
Identity interventions
Help us perform at our best and feel energized and in control during challenging times by understanding and utilizing our signature strengths more frequently.
We can improve our resilience and thrive personally and professionally by taking online assessments like the Values in Action test or the Clifton Strengths survey.
Optimizing interventions
Finding ways to become who we want to be can help us live more fulfilling, meaningful lives in line with our core values. It can also protect us from stress and keep us looking at the world with a more resilient perspective.
To build psychological capital, effective strategies include focusing on hope and optimism and setting and achieving objectives.
Overcome a lack of self-assurance.
The four Cs of mental toughness—a term that is closely related to resilience—are confidence, commitment to the task at hand, feeling in control, and willingness to take on a challenge. According to Clough et al., researchers define mental toughness as self-assurance in one’s abilities and interactions with others. 2021).
People who lack self-confidence typically perform poorly and have low self-esteem (Clough et al., 2021).
Focusing on past accomplishments and recognizing our strengths can help us gain confidence. Positive role models and supportive environments are also necessary for fostering self-belief.
Overcome low and negative self-esteem.
Our mindset significantly impacts our self-esteem because resilience is closely linked to it.
A fixed mindset can result in low self-esteem, as Carol Dweck (2017) and her research into growth mindsets indicate. When things go wrong, we risk harshly judging ourselves if we believe we are only valuable when successful.
According to Dweck (2017), we should acknowledge that none of our abilities or skills are fixed or limited. Through hard work and determination, we can change how we see ourselves and the opportunities around us and grow, learn, and unlearn.
What does it mean to be resilient?
According to Southwick & Charney (2018), p. 290, “resilience is about knowing the changes between destiny and leverage and learning to take responsibility for one’s own life.”
It was life-altering for journalist Bob Woodruff when he was injured by a roadside bomb while filming in Iraq. He had to make a new path because he could not return and continue his life as before (Southwick & Charney, 2018).
The Bob Woodruff Foundation was established to assist others recovering from combat-related injuries due to his resilience. According to Southwick & Charney (2018), he returned to television after a lengthy recovery period and used his upsetting experience as a platform to educate and support others.
We have numerous assets accessible for specialists wishing to help clients as they foster their strengths.
Articles on resilience
While we have several articles on resilience, we would like to focus on these three main areas.
Theory of resilience
Our article titled “Resilience Theory” summarizes a large body of research on resilience. Researchers know that our resilience is not determined by the nature of adversity but rather by how we respond to it.
The seminal work on resilience by developmental psychologist Norman Garmezy acknowledges the significance of personal “voice,” motivation, cognitive skills, and social change for maintaining mental health (Masten &Tellegen, 2012).
Training for resilience
Our capacity to remain adaptable frequently defines resilience. We can learn resilience to reframe the challenges we face to adapt, progress, and move forward rather than avoiding or fighting stressful situations (Boniwell&Tunariu, 2019).
Resilience for children
At any age, resilience can be taught to schoolchildren. By giving our children the tools they need to overcome obstacles and better deal with the stresses of life that will always be there, we can give them a head start. However, we may need to back off and avoid “over-parenting” (Rosin, 2014).
Interventions in resilience
There are many resources for therapists who want to use Stay Wow and interventions in resilience to help their clients develop resilience skills.
Try out the powerful tools in our free resilience exercises pack by downloading it. Here are a few examples:
Resilience and Change
A set of questions to find out your clients’ abilities, strategies, supports, and shrewdness in order to comprehend their psychological capital for resilience.
When did I stop being resilient?
In order to assist your client in determining which aspects of resilience are more developed than others, review situations in which they successfully (and unsuccessfully) coped.
This collection of seventeen validated resilience and coping exercises is an excellent place to start if you’re looking for more science-based strategies for assisting others in overcoming challenges. Use them to assist other people in overcoming personal obstacles and turning setbacks into opportunities for development.
The ability to be flexible and adjustable in life’s challenges is resilience. It is a complicated idea that includes traits, environmental factors, and a learned ability from experience.
Resilience can be understood in psychology as the capacity to recover from, resist, or reconfigure after stress or adversity. It is an important resource that can help people avoid the adverse effects of stress and regain control over their lives, even leading to growth and positive change.
Various strategies, such as seeking support, setting goals, learning from experiences, recognizing and utilizing one’s strengths, developing coping mechanisms, and encouraging a positive outlook, can help build and maintain resilience.
Most clients will benefit directly or indirectly from therapist or coach to improve their resilience by increasing their involvement in their lives and gaining the confidence to be open to new possibilities.
In general, resilience is significant because it aids individuals, communities, and systems in overcoming adversity, coping with stress and uncertainty, and maintain growth and improvement over time.
