What is resilience? how to develop it, the resilient person and more!

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Jennifer Sherman

General considerations about Resilience

Faced with so many challenges in everyday life, the word resilience has been widely used by psychology to designate a person's ability to cope with the most difficult situations without being emotionally shaken. A resilient person can face the worst suffering and still remain strong and resilient.

Precisely because of the ability to adapt in the midst of circumstances, resilience is indispensable in various sectors of life, from professional to love life, for example. The ability also brings many benefits to the physical, mental and emotional health of the human being, making him/her a better person in various aspects.

In this text, you will know the main characteristics of a resilient person, besides having access to tips to become one, information about resilience, among many other points. Check everything below and be sure to share the text with friends and family. Good reading!

Resilience, sense of purpose, its importance and impacts on life

In the topics below, you will learn a little more about the various aspects related to resilience. Take all the information you discover and use it in various areas of your life. Check it out!

What is Resilience

Resilience is the ability to find strategies in the face of life's adversities. It is the ability to deal with unexpected changes and not be overwhelmed by suffering and loss.

Despite being widely used in psychology, the term "resilience" originated in physics, which defines the word as the property of a body to return to its original state after undergoing an elastic transformation.

Thus, inspired by the definition of physics, a resilient person is one who can adapt to the most diverse situations, maintaining proper control over their emotions. According to the psychologist Robert Brooks, those who are resilient have greater ability to take risks in life and have good interpersonal relationships.

Resilience and sense of purpose

Resilience is very much tied to a sense of purpose. That is, when you are aware that you are important in people's lives and that you can add something of value to the lives of others, you become stronger and more resilient in the face of obstacles along the way. With that, the benefit will come to yourself and to others, too.

For this reason, look for activities where you feel you are contributing. Volunteering or spending time with your family and friends, for example, can be great options for helping someone. But do everything with pleasure and satisfaction. Look for activities that bring you happiness and where you feel good.

Development of a personal life project

Victor Frankl, founder of Logotherapy, says that every human being needs to have a meaning in life, a purpose for which he can fight. Having a personal life project helps to develop resilience, because it makes the person more patient in the face of challenges. Each obstacle is seen as a springboard to conquer the goals.

Therefore, look within yourself and discover what your mission is on this Earth. Pay attention to your abilities, competencies, capacities, see what causes you indignation, sense of justice and something else that bothers you. In this way, you will be able to change yourself when faced with situations that cannot be transformed.

Resilience and the ability to understand new emotions

The immediacy of today's society hinders the connection with ourselves and, therefore, the contact with our own emotions. Nowadays, it is an almost impossible task to stop and reflect on the state of our emotions. But know that the ability to understand our own feelings is especially important in the development of resilience.

When you are aware of what is going on inside you, you become able to find strategies to deal with adversity. After all, acting on impulse and overwhelmed by emotion is a big trap when facing problems. So, try to set aside some time in your routine to connect with your inner self.

Why is resilience so important?

Resilience is the ability to recover from adversity, and is even a protective mechanism against emotional shock when faced with problems. Those who are resilient can keep their mental health intact, because they know that no matter how bad the situation is, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

Thus, people who lack resilience skills are more likely to be overwhelmed by any kind of challenge. In addition, they may seek coping strategies harmful to health, such as the abuse of alcohol and other drugs. In this sense, the development of resilience is of paramount importance for the life of human beings.

Resilience at work

As one of the most competitive fields in society, the labor market demands certain strict requirements. It is not enough to be good at what you do, to be the most qualified or the one with the best resume. It is necessary to present characteristics that involve social skills for conflict mediation, such as resilience, for example.

Thus, more resilient employees have the opportunity to be more efficient in their sectors, in addition to improving their interpersonal relationships in the workplace. In addition, leaders who present resilience as one of the pillars of their actions are able to be more empathetic with employees, even improving the results of the corporation.

Resilience in love

Resilience applied to love is fundamental to having healthier and more pleasurable relationships. Resilient partners are able to resolve conflicts more easily because they understand the other's worldview. They understand that both come from different experiences, with different upbringings and even different values.

However, be very careful not to confuse resilience with an attitude of accepting everything from your partner. Keep in mind that a resilient person practices self-awareness and therefore knows their own limits. In addition, they have enough self-esteem not to accept less than they deserve. So be resilient, but don't devalue yourself.

Resilience and emotional health

It is wrong to think that resilience is limited to the ability to endure a certain situation. Resilience goes far beyond that. It is able to modify behavior patterns, reformulate thoughts in favor of mental health, minimize stress and anxiety levels and completely improve the quality of life.

A resilient person can keep his emotions under control and, even if he is worried about some problem, he does not let himself down, because he knows he will find a solution. In view of all this, it is noted that the ability to adapt to different situations is a protective factor for the emotional health of all individuals.

The 7 Cs of Resilience

The 7 Cs of resilience refers to the model created by Ken Ginsberg, a famous pediatrician who helped children and adolescents develop the capacity of resilience. Although it is widely used by younger people, the model is totally useful for adults. Check below all about the 7 Cs!

Competence

Competence is related to the ability to deal with different situations effectively, that is, the person knows how to manage their emotions in the most varied circumstances, take a stand when necessary, fight for their rights and recognise when to keep quiet and when they need to act.

All this is done with excellence. But, obviously, resilience competence is something that must be developed little by little. With each challenge that comes your way, you will learn to solve problems more efficiently. One becomes resilient through life experiences. So, the important thing is to face situations and not run away from them.

Trust

In any area of life, self-confidence is indispensable. Everyone who wants to become more resilient needs to have confidence in their own ability. You need to believe in your qualities and strengths and believe that you have all the potential to be stronger and more resilient.

However, be careful not to confuse self-confidence with pride, because to develop resilience, you need to recognize that you are constantly learning and that you need good people by your side. Humility and contact with others are essential points in the process of seeking resilience.

Connection

Resilience is the ability to adapt in the midst of adversity. This is not always easy and therefore requires the support of trusted people. Being connected with friends and family provides a wonderful sense of belonging and security, which helps humans become more resilient.

It is important to point out that being resilient does not mean being strong all the time, without going through any feelings of sadness, disappointment or anything like that. This, in fact, indicates that resilience is a perfect balance between feeling suffering and not being overwhelmed by it. In this process, the support of loved ones is indispensable.

Character

In resilience, character is a property resulting from the awareness of right and wrong. During childhood and adolescence, it is crucial to work on character so that society receives a well-behaved and responsible individual. By developing a sense of responsibility as a consequence, character is a premise for resilience.

Thus, a resilient person takes responsibility for their own actions and never outsources actions. They know that everything they do will have repercussions in their own life, contributing to success or misfortune. Therefore, having a good character with a sense of what is right and wrong is the basis for being a resilient person.

Contribution

When someone has a purpose in life, the person becomes more resilient in the face of life's turbulences. The purpose is so vivid that they do not stop in the middle of the journey and fight with all their strength. Because of this patience in the midst of difficult situations, having a purpose helps the individual to develop resilience.

But it is important that the purpose is related to another person; that is, you need to feel that you are contributing to someone else's life and that you are making a difference. In this way, your relationships will be more reciprocal and beneficial for both parties and you will become resilient.

Combat

Resilience has absolutely no relation with passivity. On the contrary, to be resilient is precisely to find coping strategies in the face of the situation. Therefore, combat is the fundamental point that separates the victims from the problem solvers. Instead of complaining and wondering why it happened to you, face your problem head on.

But only face adversity when you know how to control your stress and anxiety levels. Don't take any action on impulse, much less unthinking. A resilient person knows himself and knows exactly how far he can go. So keep your emotion management up to date before you face the challenge.

What are the characteristics of a resilient person

Maybe, you are a resilient person and don't even know it. But, to make sure that resilience is in your life, see below some characteristics of those who have this ability. Check it out!

Self-awareness

Resilient people are able to find strategies to face several adversities along the way. This happens because they have a good level of self-awareness. That is, they know the strengths and weaknesses of their personality and know exactly how far they can go.

Self-awareness is key to increasing your resilience rate, so you can use your strengths to your advantage when facing difficult situations. As for your weaknesses, you can work on them and become a better person. However, resilient people do not seek perfection, because they know there is no such thing. They just seek to know themselves better.

Internal control and self-esteem

Victimism is one of the great traps to rigidity in the midst of life's obstacles, and resilient people know this very well. They understand that, in order to deal with difficulties, you must take control of your own actions and not blame others for the decisions made. After all, success depends only on you.

But internal control is directly linked to self-esteem, which is nothing more than the ability to recognize the qualities that exist within you and use them to your advantage. Valuing the positive points is very important to develop resilience and thus deal with the various experiences during the path on Earth.

Emotional balance and self-care

One of the characteristics of a resilient person is the balance of their emotions. Creating techniques to reduce anxiety and stress is indispensable to increase the level of resilience. When faced with a problem, resilient people do not try to solve it immediately. Instead, they try to calm down first and then find solutions.

Another very important characteristic is self-care. Mental, physical and emotional health should be a priority in anyone's life. For those who want to be more patient and believe that better days will come, they need to pay more attention to themselves and not neglect self-care. So, don't stop looking at yourself.

Optimism and problem solving

Problem-solving ability is the ability to bring together a range of knowledge, techniques and strategies to overcome certain challenges. Some people display this ability more easily due to keen observation of the world around them. That is, they learn from the mistakes and successes of others.

Anyone who wants to develop resilience can acquire this ability to solve problems. Just be patient and believe that everything will work out, because optimism is one of the defining characteristics of a resilient person. You need to have faith and hope in life.

Tips to be more resilient

There are people who seem to be born with the ability of resilience and, therefore, hardly shake with something. But know that it is perfectly possible for anyone to become more resilient in the face of life. Check out the tips below and find out how!

Be flexible

Rigid people can hardly be resilient, because in rigidity, the person only sees one way to solve things, a single path, a single solution. To develop resilience, you need to broaden your vision and try to see the various possibilities of a situation.

Flexibility helps you suffer less from difficulties and even improves your relationships with other people. Try to find new ways to adapt to them. Keep in mind that there are always different ways to deal with an issue. You just have to be open and allow yourself to see the possible ways around you.

Believe in yourself

Keep in mind that resilience is a skill acquired little by little. With each difficulty, you will learn to be more resilient and adapt to new changes. In this sense, a good tip for you to learn to be more resilient is to believe in yourself and celebrate your small achievements.

Trusting in your own ability helps you achieve your goals and objectives, makes you more productive, helps you develop a more focused life, and broadens your vision to see the positive side of adversity. Everyone has flaws and qualities, and that's normal. But the important thing is that you believe in your abilities.

Stay connected

No one was born to be alone. Psychologists say that every human being needs to be in contact with other people. Even if someone likes solitude, that is, a period of isolation for reflection and completely healthy, loneliness is something harmful to mental health because it causes pain and suffering.

So be sure to stay connected with friends and family. Having people you can turn to in times of trouble will help you develop your resilience. Advice and guidance will broaden your world view and you will see new angles of the situation. So, little by little, you will learn to be more resilient in the face of life.

Learn healthy habits

One of the tips to be more resilient is to learn healthy habits. Some are: exercising regularly, maintaining a balanced diet rich in nutrients, reading a good book, taking time for rest and many others. You can also create your own healthy habits that fit best into your routine.

In addition, understand that resilience is developed through a strong emotional and healthy body. After all, mind and body are closely linked, since one interferes with the other and, consequently, affects the person's ability to be more resilient in the face of adversity. So, take care of yourself.

Draw lessons from experiences

One of the characteristics of a resilient person is the understanding that it is always possible to learn from negative experiences. That is why they do not get upset, because they know that everything cooperates for their own maturation. Therefore, try to draw lessons from the bad situations that happen in your life.

When you get out of your victimhood position and face adversity as a real teacher in life, resilience will begin to develop. So don't complain about anything that comes at you, much less wonder why it happened. Instead, think about how you could have acted differently.

Look for ways to release tension

Believe me, tension blocks the development of resilience. This is because stress prevents a person from seeing new paths and adapting amidst the circumstances. Worry steals peace of mind, bringing the focus only to the problems, without, however, being able to find the proper solution.

Therefore, you should look for ways to release the tension within your body. You can, for example, write a diary reporting your problems and difficulties. You can draw pictures as a means of expression of your anguish. In addition, you can develop the practice of meditation, dance, sing and even have a good therapy.

Keep a positive attitude towards life

Negativity is an attitude that paralyzes anyone and therefore prevents the resolution of many problems. If you want to develop your resilience, you need to maintain a positive attitude towards life. That is, it is necessary to believe that there is always a way out of every situation.

Being positive is seeing the bright side of the most negative experiences. For example, if a person lost his job, instead of complaining and grumbling about the boss, he can consider the dismissal as an opportunity to invest in entrepreneurship and achieve his dreams. Therefore, if you want to be resilient, look for the positive side, because there is always.

What factors contribute to Resilience?

As every human being is different, there are people who are born with a high resilience potential. This is facilitated by several factors, such as good self-esteem, family support, clear communication and emotional intelligence, for example.

However, those who have no ability to adapt to new changes can also become resilient. To do so, they will need to be willing to learn and to persevere in seeking adjustments in their own behavior and thinking.

So, understand that no change is easy and that nothing happens overnight. Be patient with yourself and be happy for each evolution you manage to make. Also, take advantage of the tips and information you got in today's text. This way, you will become a more resilient person and live better on this earthly plane.

As an expert in the field of dreams, spirituality and esotericism, I am dedicated to helping others find the meaning in their dreams. Dreams are a powerful tool for understanding our subconscious minds and can offer valuable insights into our daily lives. My own journey into the world of dreams and spirituality began over 20 years ago, and since then I have studied extensively in these areas. I am passionate about sharing my knowledge with others and helping them to connect with their spiritual selves.