Strengthening Resilience: How To Do It?

Life can be wonderful, but you have to be realistic; it will not always be, however hard we may put in it. On the other hand, most of the good things that happen to us are not the result of chance, but of our own efforts. And the bad things? The truth is that there are also unexpected events in life, and you can’t always get what you want. That’s the way it is for everyone… but do we all react the same way? Obviously, the answer is no. Furthermore, is it possible to emerge strengthened from these negative moments? If we want to grow on a personal level, this is precisely the key. Read on to find out how to build resilience!

To enhance resilience, first you need to know that …

Let’s start from the beginning. What is resilience? Although it is a current term in common use, perhaps not everyone knows its meaning. You may have vague notions about the meaning of this word, but still not be able to give a definition.

Resilience is a person’s ability to adapt positively to adverse situations. Resilient people, as a result, are able to draw strength from the difficult times they have been subjected to. It does not just mean knowing how to “see the positive side of things”, it is a broader philosophy.

Resilience implies, among other things, being able to effectively regulate one’s emotions in order to cope with the setbacks that one happens to encounter. Most importantly, resilience helps overcome the obstacles we encounter.

Another positive aspect of resilience is that it is not something genetically determined by our personality. In other words, we are not born with “x” resilience capacity. On the contrary, it is developed throughout our life and thanks to our interaction with the surrounding environment. This means that yes, it is possible to enhance our resilience!

Internal factors that help us enhance resilience

How can we enhance resilience? To do this, it is important to understand which factors, personal or related to the environment, affect this ability. If we succeed, we can work on different components and adapt positively to adversity.

First, we need to accept what is happening to us. This, especially following an accident, is not easy to do immediately. It is something that is achieved over time and, on many occasions, with the help of a qualified psychologist.

On the other hand, it is important to be able to put into practice what we have just talked about: to be able to see the positive side of things. Be optimistic. To do this, however, we must start from an essential axiom: this optimism must be realistic. It is good not to see everything black and hide the positive side, but neither should it be pushed to exaggerated levels. If we did, the shock with reality would be even more severe.

Finally, there is a factor that helps us enormously to enhance our resilience. And it’s our sense of humor. Being able to laugh at ourselves or at the situations that happen to us in daily life is a very valuable tool that facilitates our adaptation to the different handicaps that arise.

External factors that help us enhance resilience

Beyond personal factors, there are also external ones that can affect our resilience capacity. For example, when we have to face a complicated situation, being able to rely on formal support (associations, specialized institutions, etc.) can have a very significant influence on our adaptation process.

Sometimes it is also the social support we can count on that makes the difference. count on the support of our family, our partner or our friends. Having them by our side is a priceless resource.

When you are faced with a complicated situation, it is important to take all these factors into account. It is normal that, at first, adapting to this situation is difficult. The key point is to know the tools to use to enhance one’s resilience and grow on a personal level with what we have to face … if we fall, we can get up!

Images courtesy of Ib Wira Dyatmika, Nick Nice and Andy Omvik.