We all know people who set an amazing example of resilience when dealing with life’s challenges, illness or even danger. What makes us resilient, and how can we become more so, at home and at work?
What keeps people going when they are surrounded by uncertainty or outright threat and have to leave their homes with only the clothes on their backs? How do those facing difficult diagnoses navigate the choppy waters of illness, and stay focused on the horizon in front of them? What helps individuals to steer through stressful situations in everyday life? It’s a quality called resilience. This blog post describes resilience and provides some research-based information on related competencies and how to become more resilient.
In an article about how some individuals effectively bounce back from negative events, Dr. Michele M. Tugade and Dr. Barbara L. Fredrickson define psychological resilience as “effective coping and adaptation although faced with loss, hardship, or adversity.”[1] The authors state that varied research shows that resilient people tend to be optimistic, have an energetic approach to life, and be curious and open to new experiences. They are high in positive emotions and tend to cultivate them by using humour, applying relaxation techniques and thinking optimistically.
I recently connected with someone who has been battling cancer for over eight years, through the peaks and valleys of different treatments and their effects on her body and emotions. As an advocate for others living with cancer, she is in touch with many who are coping with serious illness, and when one succumbs to it, she feels their loss keenly. While allowing herself to grieve, she tries to stay strong for her family and focus on the blessings of medical professionals’ commitment and dedication, improvements in medication and options, and community support. She is a shining example of mental and physical resilience who serves as an inspiration to many!
So how can we become more resilient? The University of Pennsylvania Positive Psychology Center, founded by Dr. Martin Seligman, widely known as the founder of Positive Psychology, suggests that it is by developing a resilience skill set built upon the following competencies[2]:
-
- Self-awareness
- Self-regulation
- Mental agility
- Strengths of character
- Connection
- Optimism
From that list, it seems to me that self-regulation, the ability to change our thoughts, emotions and behaviours to achieve a desired outcome, is particularly important. Also key is optimism, the ability to focus on the positive, to pay attention to what you can control, and to take purposeful action. I would add hope, because it seems essential to optimism and therefore to resilience.
An article by Rich Fernandez in the Harvard Business Review entitled “5 Ways to Boost Your Resilience at Work”[3] also notes that we can learn to be more resilient. The five ways he suggests are:
-
- Exercise mindfulness – Jon Kabat-Zinn defined it this way: “Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally.”[4]
-
- Compartmentalize – Schedule different activities at different times of the day and try to focus on one type of task at a time.
-
- Take detachment breaks – Since mental focus and energy cycles are usually 90 to 120 minutes long, even a break of a few minutes is helpful to restore energy and reset attention.
-
- Develop mental agility – To defuse stress, mentally step back from the situation, view it from a neutral perspective, then try to solve the problem.
-
- Cultivate self-compassion and compassion for others – Doing so boosts positive emotions, improves relationships, and encourages cooperation and collaboration.
The idea that compassion boosts positive emotions brings us full circle. Dr. Barbara Fredrickson’s broaden-and-build theory proposes that positive emotions such as joy, contentment and interest expand the range of thoughts and behaviours that come to mind. This, in turn, builds a person’s physical, intellectual and social resources.[5]
Resilience can support us through extreme challenges as well as those related to illness and life’s everyday ups and downs. By consciously building our resilience “muscles,” we can equip ourselves to better face whatever we may be called to experience.
If you would like help building your resilience competencies, or other coaching or healing support, please call me at 613-552-7909 or email me at info@naturexpansion.com.
[1] Tugade, M. M., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2004). Resilient Individuals Use Positive Emotions to Bounce Back From Negative Emotional Experiences. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86(2), 320–333. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.86.2.320
[2] Resilience Skill Set | Positive Psychology Center (upenn.edu)
[3] 5 Ways to Boost Your Resilience at Work (hbr.org)
[4] Jon Kabat-Zinn: Defining Mindfulness – Mindful
[5] Tugade and Fredrickson. Resilient Individuals Use Positive Emotions (as previously cited).
Copyright © Naturexpansion 2021-2023. All rights reserved.