What is Resilience?
There are many
ways of defining Resilience; The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines it as:
“An
ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change”
Psychology Today
gives a more detailed definition:
“Resilience is that ineffable
quality that allows some people to be knocked down by life and come back
stronger than ever. Rather than letting failure overcome them and drain their
resolve, they find a way to rise from the ashes. Psychologists have
identified some of the factors that make someone resilient, among them a
positive attitude, optimism, the ability to regulate emotions, and the ability
to see failure as a form of helpful feedback.”
Resilience can realistically described as our
ability to react appropriately and adapt and respond to situations. In order to do this, we have to be aware of
the reality of situations in which we find ourselves through understanding,
clear thought and emotional intelligence.
The key is that realistically the way that we
experience and respond to the reality that we find ourselves in is typically
controlled by us and not by those around us.
The benefits of enhanced
resilience:
§
You enjoy positive moods that are good for
your health
§
It enables you handle and cope with various
forms of pressure
§
It builds optimism living through life’s difficulties
§
It creates progress in different areas of
your life
Life without any form of pressure would be flat and
uninteresting. It's that buzz of
excitement before a special party or holiday.
Too much of it and we suffer the opposite, 'burn out'. It is important for us to get the balance.
Did you Know?
The occupations that reported the highest rates of
work-related stress in the last three years were health and social service
managers, teachers and social welfare associate professionals.
The Locus of control
The
term ‘locus of control’ refers to whether you feel your life is controlled by
you or by forces outside yourself. Those with an internal locus of control feel
that they have choice in their lives and control over their circumstances;
conversely, those with an external locus of control feel more at the mercy of
external events.
Typically,
those with a more internal locus of control tend to feel happier, more free,
and less stress. They also enjoy better health (likely because they experience
less of the damaging chronic stress that can come from feeling powerless), and
are more satisfied with life in general.
Perhaps
not surprisingly, those with an external locus of control are more susceptible
to depression as well as other health problems, and tend to keep themselves in
situations where they will experience additional stress, feeling powerless to
change their own circumstances, which just adds to their stress load.
If
you feel your locus of control could use a shift, these techniques can help:
- Realise that you always have choice to change your situation. Even if you don’t like the choices available at the moment, even if the only change you can make is in your attitude, you always have some choices.
- When you feel trapped, make a list of all possible courses of action. Just brainstorm and write things down without evaluating them first.
- You may want to also brainstorm with a trusted friend to get more ideas that you may not have initially considered. Don’t shoot down these ideas right away, either; just write them down.
- When you have a list, evaluate each one and decide on the best course of action for you, and keep the others in the back of your mind as alternative options. You may end up with the same answer you had before the brainstorming session, but this exercise can open your eyes to the amount of choices you have in a given situation. Seeing new possibilities will become more of a habit.
- Repeat this practice when you feel trapped in frustrating situations in your life. In more casual, everyday situations, you can still expand your mind to new possibilities by doing this quickly and mentally.
Ten things I can do
Some people seem to come by resilience naturally,
others not so. The following are just a
few of the techniques you should focus on in order to foster your own
resilience.
- Build Positive Beliefs in Your Abilities
- Find a Sense of Purpose in Your Life
- Develop a Strong Social Network
- Embrace Change
- Be Optimistic
- Nurture Yourself
- Develop Your Problem-Solving Skills
- Establish Goals
- Take Steps to Solve Problems
- Keep Working on Your Skills
Fresh Learning offers a range of training and support with delivering excellence in Developing Resilience. If you would like to contact send us a message using the contact form on the right-hand side of this post.
Fresh Learning Team
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