 With the cold and flu season upon us, have you ever wondered why some of your family and friends never seem to get sick? At times you may ask what makes them so impervious to illness. You most likely generate solid, accurate answers such as: good genetics, strong immunity, being well nourished and rested, previous exposure, and good stress management – but, might there be more?
Similarly, have you ever admired a family member or friend who seems to be a pro at handling life’s stressors and travesties? What makes them so effective in dealing with life’s problems? While the answer is undoubtedly complex and based upon multiple factors,let me suggest one, yes, only one, explanation– resilience. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), resilience is “mental muscle”, the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, threats, serious illness, family crises, financial hardships, or relationship difficulties.
According to the APA, resilience is an ordinary trait that common people demonstrate. Take, for instance, the remarkable resilience demonstrated by the Chilean miners who were trapped some 2,300 feet underground for 69 days. These men provide a great example of how to band together, stay optimistic, and persevere through a life-threatening situation. Likewise, many families who have had to face devastating hardships with the recent economic and housing crisis have found assistance, advice, and strategies to continue moving forward. Yet, being resilient does not mean an individual does not feel distress or pain or doesn’t care about it. Instead, resilience involves building and using personal strategies to manage, reduce, and eventually eliminate– or adjust to- a stressor. For example, one strategy involves viewing the stressor as a challenge and not necessarily a threat.
The APA has offered a public education campaign on how to foster resilience and “bounce back” from adversity. It offers 10 ways to build resilience including:
1. Make connections. Establishing good relationships with close family members, friends, and others are important. Be open to help, advice, support, and guidance.
2. Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems. While you may not change the fact that some bad did indeed happen, you can change how you interpret and respond. Again, reframing the stressor as a challenge and not a threat.
3. Change is an inevitable part of living–accepting certain goals as no longer attainable as a result of a crisis.
4. Set goals and work on them. Establish realistic and achievable goals and work on them regularly. Even if you make small, seemingly, insignificant progress, work on your goals frequently.
5. Be decisive. Act on adversity as much as possible. Wishing they would go away is not helpful.
6. Look for opportunities. You may learn something about yourself through this process- greater personal strength, more self-confidence, improved relationships, or a deeper appreciation for life.
7. Nurture a positive view of yourself. Bolster your self-confidence. It will enhance your ability to build resilience.
8. Keep it in perspective. Don’t catastrophize. Avoid blowing the situation out of proportion. Try to consider the broader perspective of the problem; include long-term context.
9. Keep a hopeful outlook. Be optimistic. Try to visualize what you want, rather than what you worry about or fear.
10. Take care of yourself. Exercise regularly, get rest, eat right, and engage in some enjoyable, relaxing, and mindless activities from time to time. |
