Article courtesy: Wally Lazaruk

What is resilience?

Resilience may be defined as the process of adapting effectively in the face of a crisis, struggle, illness, tragedy or other difficult experience.

How do we strengthen our resilience?

To build our resilience, the American Psychological Association (APA) recommends that we focus on four areas:

1. Building our connections. This includes connecting with empathetic and trustworthy people who validate our feelings. We can also accept help and support from those who care about us. Furthermore, we can join a civic group, a faith-based community, or other local organization which provides social support and hope.

2. Fostering wellness. This means to take care of our body with positive lifestyle factors like proper nutrition, sufficient sleep, hydration, and regular exercise. Fostering wellness may also include mindfulness, journaling, yoga, prayer and meditation. The APA also recommends that we avoid negative outlets such as excessive alcohol consumption, use of drugs or other substances to deal with our pain.

3. Finding purpose.  We can find purpose by helping others, supporting a friend in need, accepting our emotions in difficult situations, and doing something regularly to move toward realistic goals. Self-discovery, self-worth and appreciation of life can be meaningful benefits when we experience difficult times.

4. Embracing healthy thoughts.  We can keep things in perspective, identify irrational thinking such as catastrophizing and respond to difficult events in balanced and realistic ways. We could accept conditions that cannot be changed without condoning these situations and focus on circumstances that we can modify or improve. The APA suggests that we maintain an optimistic outlook and visualize a better future.

We can also examine successful experiences from the past where we were strong physically, emotionally or mentally and let this sense of strength sink in and establish itself to help us deal with any current and future challenges.

Reference:

Building your resilience – American Psychological Association

– Prepared by Wally Lazaruk, May 2021