Building The Resilience Muscle
Resilience is the act of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences by being flexible mentally and emotionally, and in one’s behavior. Whether or not one is able to exhibit resilience in the face of challenges is dependent upon an individual’s view of the world and the degree to which they are equipped with coping strategies. With the right tools and a positive outlook, resiliency can be learned and cultivated over time.
None of us are exempt from experiencing both everyday challenges and devastating traumatic events like serious illnesses and the death of loved ones. These sorts of changes affect each of us differently, often evoking strong emotions, a feeling of uncertainty, or even physical pain. As a result of resilience, when we experience financial, health, relationship, or workplace challenges we tend to be able to adapt over time. Not only are we able to adjust mentally and emotionally, but we can also experience personal growth as a result.
Being resilient doesn’t mean that we won’t feel the effects of challenging or traumatic events or circumstances, but it does mean that we are able to weather the storms without negatively affecting our entire lives. Resiliency empowers us to get through difficult circumstances, take control of our lives, make improvements and grow.
The great news about resilience is that it’s a skill that we can all learn. It isn’t a personality trait unique to only certain people. During the 2020 pandemic, all of our lives were upended by illness, death, financial hardship, fear, emotional pain, and loss of personal freedom. While individuals may have reacted differently to the various challenges and losses, over time, most of us were able to weather the hardships, and many found new meaning in their lives.
It can take both time and experience to build resiliency, and focusing on relationships, mental and physical health, and purpose can empower us to endure and learn from difficult, stressful, and traumatic experiences.
