What Does Resilient Mean? 3 Ways To Become A Resilient Person

Adapting To Adversity

The capacity to adjust to challenging circumstances is resilience. You still feel wrath, grief, and suffering when faced with stress, hardship, or tragedy, yet you are still able to carry on with your daily activities on a physical and psychological level. However, resilience isn’t about enduring a challenging situation, remaining stoic, or coming up with a solution on your own. In actuality, a crucial component of resilience is the capacity to ask for help from others.

Resilience And Mental Health

You can stave against numerous mental health disorders like sadness and anxiety by developing resilience. Bullying and prior trauma are only two examples of risk factors for mental health disorders that resilience might help counteract. Being resilient can help you cope better with a current mental health problem.

Characteristics Of Resilient People

A resilient individual typically possesses awareness, self-control, problem-solving abilities, and social support. People that are resilient are conscious of their surroundings, their feelings, and the actions of those around them.

They can keep things under control and come up with fresh solutions to issues by staying alert. After such challenges, resilient people frequently grow stronger.

Although people’s methods for dealing with crises differ greatly, studies have pinpointed some essential traits of resilience. Many of these abilities can be increased, which will enable you to better handle life’s adversities.

Sense of Control

Do you believe that you are in charge of your own life? Or do you attribute errors and issues to outside forces?

Psychologists refer to this as having an internal locus of control and it is typically present in resilient people. They think their activities will have an impact on how an event turns out.

Of course, certain circumstances, like natural calamities, are just beyond our human control. It’s crucial to believe that we have the potential to make decisions that will impact our circumstances, our capacity for adjustment, and our future, even though we may be able to assign part of the blame to other factors.

Problem-Solving Skills

Resilience depends on one’s capacity for problem-solving. 5 Resilient people can recognize the answer that will result in a safe outcome when a crisis arises. Less resilient people may develop tunnel vision in risky situations. They overlook critical information or pass up possibilities.

People who are resilient may approach a situation with composure and reason in order to see its potential solutions.

Strong Social Connections

It’s crucial to have support systems around you whenever you’re struggling. Talking about your problems with others can be a great approach to getting fresh insights, looking for creative solutions, or just expressing your feelings. In order to maintain their social connections, resilient people have a network of friends, family, coworkers, and online support groups.

Survivor Mentality

Always think of yourself as a survivor when coping with any prospective disaster. People who are resilient avoid acting as victims of circumstance and instead search for solutions. Even if the circumstance might be inevitable, they remain committed to a successful outcome.

Emotional Regulation

Effective emotional control is a trait of resilience. They can better manage their emotions and deal with the current scenario if they can identify when they are experiencing an emotional reaction and comprehend what is triggering it.

Self-Compassion

People that are resilient are kind to themselves. They frequently recognize when a break is necessary and are capable of accepting their feelings, both of which are crucial for resilience. Self-compassion can improve resilience and general health, preparing you for life’s challenges.

Examples Of Resilient Behaviors

So how can resilience manifest itself in real life? Following are some illustrations of resilient actions and techniques to demonstrate resilience:

• Attempting to view things in a positive light.
• Recognizing obstacles as chances for learning.
• Controlling emotions and using proper expression.
• Instead of worrying about what you cannot change, concentrate on the things you can.
• Recognizing the falsity of cognitive distortions.
• Changing negative perceptions to more realistic and optimistic ones.

Consider the scenario where you experience traffic on your commute to work. A disobedient person could become upset, anxious, and concerned about how being late will affect their reputation at work.

However, if you are resilient, you might decide to concentrate on the lessons you can draw from the circumstance (leaving the house earlier for work), regulate your emotional reaction (using stress reduction techniques to relax your mind and body), and refrain from thinking negatively (by reminding yourself that you are always on time and your employer will understand).

What Resilience Is Not

Since everyone adapts and processes trauma differently, resilience is not something we can choose to be. Nobody should be held accountable for not being robust in accordance with a certain norm.

There is no precise description of what resilience is not in the world of psychology. Resilience shouldn’t be viewed as something to aspire towards, though.

Being resilient does not involve numbing, dismissing, or denying a situation. It stands apart from harmful or counterproductive actions like avoidance or coping techniques like abusing alcohol or other substances.

The ability to digest and comprehend how you react to stress and obstacles and actively work through them, as opposed to shutting down and becoming numb, is what resilience is all about.

Tips To Improve Your Resilience

Think about the following advice if you want to become more resilient:

• Get in touch with others. Having solid, supportive relationships with family and friends can give you the support, direction, and acceptance you need in both good and terrible times. By volunteering or affiliating with a religious or spiritual group, you can forge additional, crucial relationships.
• Give each day purpose. Every day, engage in activities that make you feel accomplished and purposeful. To enable you to look forward to the future with purpose, set clear, attainable goals.
• Learn from your mistakes. Consider your past experiences with overcoming adversity. Think about the abilities and tactics that got you through challenging circumstances. To help you spot both positive and negative behavior patterns and inform your future behavior, you might even journal about your prior experiences.
• Remain optimistic. Although you cannot undo the past, you can always look ahead. It’s simpler to adjust and approach new problems with less fear when you accept and anticipate change.
• Protect your own well-being. Be mindful of your own wants and emotions. Engage in pastimes and activities you find enjoyable. Put some exercise into your everyday regimen. Get lots of rest and establish regular bedtime routines. Adopt a balanced diet. Use stress reduction and relaxation practices, such as yoga, guided visualization, meditation, deep breathing, or prayer.
• Take initiative. Do not disregard your issues. Decide what needs to be done instead, then establish a plan and accomplish it. Although it may take some time to recover from a significant setback, terrible experience, or loss, remember that things may get better if you put in the effort.

How To Ask For Help

While resourcefulness is a crucial component of resilience, it is equally crucial to know when to seek assistance. Everyone can gain from the assistance of psychologists and counselors who have been properly trained to handle crisis circumstances. Additional resources for help include:

• Books: Reading about people who have dealt with and overcame a similar issue can inspire and offer suggestions for coping mechanisms.
• Online message boards: Online communities can offer ongoing assistance and a forum for discussion with others who have had the same problems.
• Psychotherapy: Speaking with a skilled mental health expert can help you tackle the issue, pinpoint your strengths, and learn new coping mechanisms if you’re having problems with a crisis scenario.
• Support groups: Participating in support group discussions at meetings is a terrific way to establish a network of individuals who can empathize with you and offer support.

When To Seek Professional Advice

It takes time and repetition to become more resilient. Consider speaking to a mental health professional if you don’t feel like you’re making progress or if you don’t know where to begin. With help, you can strengthen your mental health and resilience.