The word resilient can be defined as the ability to withstand or recover quickly from difficult situations. These situations may include family issues, relationship problems, health difficulties or financial problems. Humans are a naturally resilient species, they have the ability to overcome trauma and adapt to difficult circumstances. However, that resilience is threatened when the threats are unpredictable and new.
What It Means To Be Resilient
The psychological definition of resilience is the ability to adequately adapt to adversity, trauma, stress and tragedy. Being resilient does not mean bouncing back from the stress or trauma, it means adapting and growing from the experience.
The true meaning of resilience is learning from the trauma and refusing to let it dictate and control your life, your feelings, or your peace. Becoming resilient not only helps you get through difficult circumstances but also allows you to grow and improve your life along the way.
It is important to note that being resilient doesn’t mean that you won’t be affected by the trauma or stress, you are human and it is natural to feel your feelings and to experience emotional pain and distress. You can not be resilient unless you experience these feelings.
Although it is possible for anyone to reach a level of resilience, some persons may find it easier to overcome adversity than others. However, anyone can learn the necessary tools, behaviours and actions needed to become a resilient person.
How Do We React To Uncertainty
The way you react to uncertainty determines your level of resilience. The constant factor of uncertainty is that there will be changes in life. Change is unavoidable and the best thing to do is to accept it. To just go along with the uncertainty is a difficult skill to master because sometimes life sends curveballs that will prevent you from falling your path. But being able to accept these uncertainties leads you to a path of resilience.
What Can We Do To Strengthen Our Resilience When Circumstances Are Harder?
Becoming resilient is not an easy task. It takes time and it takes effort to strengthen your resilience. To become resilient in hard circumstances there are four recommended components to focus on. These are; to build connections, foster wellness, embrace healthy thinking and find meaning and purpose.
· Build Connections – Trauma can cause people to isolate themselves, however, it is important to form connections with others and accept the help and support that is offered. You should prioritize healthy relationships and connect with the persons that care about you.
· Foster Wellness- Misery breeds misery and negativity begets negativity. This is why it is necessary to avoid any negative influences or vices to mask your pain. Unfortunately, this will not help you overcome your trauma as you do not heal this way. Instead, you may foster wellness by finding healthy resources to manage stress and trauma as opposed to pretending those feelings do not exist.
· Embrace Healthy Thinking- Your thoughts play a huge role in your overall wellness and can impact your level of resilience in uncertainty. It is easier said than done to remain hopeful in the face of adversity but the truth is an opportunistic outlook leads to resilience. Healthy thinking teaches you that despite how bad things are, they get better.
· Find Meaning and Purpose- having a purpose goes hand in hand with healthy thinking. You are more likely to believe things will get better if you have purpose and meaning in your life. You can find your life’s purpose by creating realistic goals and moving towards them. You should take meaningful steps to achieve these goals, no matter the size of these steps.