Resilience. Resilience is the ability to adapt and recover from adversity, trauma, or significant stress. It involves mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility, allowing individuals to navigate challenges and emerge stronger. Building resilience can help you manage stress and bounce back from difficult situations.
Key aspects of resilience include:
- Adaptability: Resilient people can adjust their thoughts and behaviors to meet new challenges.
- Emotional Regulation: They manage their emotions effectively, even in stressful situations.
- Problem-Solving Skills: They approach problems rationally and seek practical solutions.
- Social Support: Having a strong network of friends and family provides emotional support and resources.
- Self-Compassion: Resilient individuals practice self-acceptance and self-care.
Resilience doesn’t mean avoiding stress or hardship; it’s about confronting difficulties head-on and using healthy coping strategies to manage them. Some resources and strategies for enhancing resilience:
- Mindfulness and Meditation: to help stay grounded and manage stress.
- Physical Activity: to improve mood and reduce anxiety.
- Social Connections: in addition to maintaining strong family and friend relationships, join support groups or community organizations to build a network.
- Professional Help: Therapists and counselors can offer strategies tailored to an individual’s specific emotional/mental health needs.
Interested in learning more about developing resilience, explore the following resources:
- “The Resilience Factor” by Karen Reivich and Andrew Shatté
- “Option B” by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant
- “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” by Angela Duckworth
- “Rising Strong” by Brené Brown
- “Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness” by Rick Hanson and Forrest
These books offer a mix of personal stories, research, and practical advice to help build resilience.
- Resilience: Build skills to endure hardship – Mayo Clinic
- Resilience: A Guide to Facing Life’s Challenges, Adversities, and Crises
- Resilience | Personal Assistance Service
- Biological and Psychological Perspectives of Resilience: Is It Possible to Improve Stress Resistance? – PMC
- How to Strengthen Your Resilience During Recovery – Arista Recovery
- Resilience: Meaning, Types, Causes, and How to Develop It
- Resilience
Brittany Stratton, LCSW
Mental Health Counseling Department
