Resilience: what it is, why we
need it, and how to develop it; so that we have the strength and fortitude to
overcome adversity, and to keep on moving forward towards our dreams and our
goals.
The Importance of Resilience
Resilience is our ability to adapt and bounce back when things don’t go as
planned. Resilient people don’t wallow or dwell on failures; they acknowledge
the situation, learn from their mistakes, and then move forward.
According to some research there are three elements that are essential to
resilience:
- Challenge – Resilient people view a difficulty as a challenge, not as a paralyzing event. They look at their failures and mistakes as lessons to be learned from, and as opportunities for growth. They don’t view them as a negative reflection on their abilities or self-worth.
- Commitment – Resilient people are committed to their lives and their goals, and they have a compelling reason to get out of bed in the morning. Commitment isn’t just restricted to their work – they commit to their relationships, their friendships, the causes they care about, and their religious or spiritual beliefs.
- Personal Control – Resilient people spend their time and energy focusing on situations and events that they have control over. Because they put their efforts where they can have the most impact, they feel empowered and confident. Those who spend time worrying about uncontrollable events can often feel lost, helpless, and powerless to take action.
The way that we explain setbacks to ourselves is also important. This
“explanatory style” is made up of three main elements:
- Permanence – People who are optimistic (and therefore have more resilience) see the effects of bad events as temporary rather than permanent. For instance, they might say “My boss didn’t like the work I did on that project” rather than “My boss never likes my work.”
- Pervasiveness – Resilient people don’t let setbacks or bad events affect other unrelated areas of their lives. For instance, they would say “I’m not very good at this” rather than “I’m no good at anything.”
- Personalization – People who have resilience don’t blame themselves when bad events occur. Instead, they see other people, or the circumstances, as the cause. For instance, they might say “I didn’t get the support I needed to finish that project successfully,” rather than “I messed that project up because I can’t do my job.”
Several further attributes that are common in resilient people:
- Resilient people have a positive image of the future. That is, they maintain a positive outlook, and envision brighter days ahead.
- Resilient people have solid goals, and a desire to achieve those goals.
- Resilient people are empathetic and compassionate, however, they don’t waste time worrying what others think of them. They maintain healthy relationships, but don’t bow to peer pressure.
- Resilient people never think of themselves as victims – they focus their time and energy on changing the things that they have control over.
How we view adversity and stress strongly affects how we succeed, and
this is one of the most significant reasons that having a resilient
mindset is so important.
To use the EAP Assist Resilience Tool go to: https://eapassist.com.au/resilience-training/
This Tool will help you learn the following:
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Isometrics
Challenge Your Thoughts
Problem Solving
Stop and Swap Thoughts
Reassess Your Thoughts
Social Connections
Healthy Sleeping
Enjoyable and Rewarding Activities
Physical Activities
Managing Emotions
Defusing Anger
Distraction