2023-10-26 00:01:32
Title: Building Resilience: How to Bounce Back From Setbacks and Thrive
Date: October 2023
Resilience is the ability to maintain confidence in the future and to pick yourself up after a loss, trauma, or setback. It is a trait that can greatly impact an individual’s well-being and ability to overcome challenges.
The concept of resilience originated from physics, referring to a material’s resistance to impact. However, in the late 1990s, psychologist Boris Cyrulnik introduced the concept of resilience in psychoanalysis after studying concentration camp survivors and traumatized children. He observed how certain individuals displayed remarkable resilience in coping with major trauma.
Research in 2015 further expanded the definition of resilience to refer to the ability to adapt to stress and change. Since then, resilience has gained significant attention and importance, especially in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The current global health crisis has emphasized the need for resilience in individuals’ personal lives, politics, and business. Resilience now signifies the ability to “bounce back” or “resist” adversity, encouraging individuals to cultivate perseverance, resistance, and flexibility instead of adopting a complaining or wait-and-see attitude.
Adversity is viewed by resilient individuals as a temporary phase that can be overcome. By going through various stages, such as rebelliousness, refusing to wallow in negativity, and focusing on the future, individuals can develop a resilient attitude themselves.
Resilience offers numerous benefits, according to researchers. It improves social life, enhances performance under pressure, and provides protection against various psychological problems, including depression, stress, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
While genetic factors and childhood experiences play a role in shaping an individual’s resilience, everyone has the capacity to cultivate and enhance their resilience through effort and training. Accepting and dealing with painful events, embracing positivism, anti-fatalism, and realistic hope are essential aspects of this process.
Resilient people possess three important qualities, as identified by psychologists Dávid Farkas and Gábor Orosz: they do not feel sorry for themselves when facing trials, have a wide range of problem-solving skills, and perform better under stress.
However, it is crucial to acknowledge that there are limits to resilience. Prolonged and overwhelming stress can have detrimental effects on physical and mental well-being. Seeking professional help is important when reaching these limits, as it is a sign of self-care rather than weakness.
Developing resilience involves surrounding oneself with a solid social support system, practicing relaxation and stress management techniques, and seeking professional help if necessary. Mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have also proven effective in enhancing resilience.
In conclusion, resilience plays a significant role in overcoming adversity and thriving despite challenges. With effort and training, individuals can develop and enhance their resilience, leading to improved well-being and the ability to bounce back from setbacks.]
#resilience #resilient