THE IMPORTANCE OF RESILIENCE

Resilience is not something a person either has or does not have. It is a process involving behaviours, thoughts, and actions that help individuals manage distress and maintain their well-being.

The core of resilience is the ability to "bounce back" from difficult experiences and adapt well to life's challenges. This means experiencing emotional pain and stress, but not being permanently overwhelmed or derailed by them.

Resilience acts as a protective factor against the development of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety following stressful events. Often, the process of navigating adversity can lead to post-traumatic growth, where individuals emerge from their experiences stronger, more resourceful, and with a new or clarified sense of purpose and self-worth.

Therapists help their clients build resilience by focusing on existing strengths and teaching new skills. Common therapeutic approaches and components include:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This approach helps clients identify and reframe negative thought patterns and irrational beliefs (e.g., catastrophizing) into more positive and realistic ones.

Emotional Regulation: Clients learn techniques to manage strong feelings and impulses in healthy ways, such as mindfulness, deep breathing, and relaxation exercises.

Building Connections: Therapy emphasizes the importance of a strong social support network. Therapists encourage clients to nurture existing relationships and seek support from family, friends, or support groups.

Problem-Solving Skills: Therapists work with clients to break down overwhelming problems into manageable steps, helping them create realistic plans and take decisive action.

Meaning-Making: A crucial element is helping clients find a sense of purpose and meaning in their experiences, which can be a powerful motivator during difficult times. By utilizing these and other strategies, therapists help individuals develop the capacity to withstand and recover from life's challenges, ultimately improving their overall well-being and adaptability.

CHECK HOW RESILIENT YOU ARE

(source : Resiliency test by Practical Psychology Press from the Resiliency Centre website, based upon The Resilience Advantage, Al Siebert PhD (2006, Berrett-Koehler).

Rate yourself from 1-5 on the following scale where :

In a crisis or chaotic situation, I calm myself and focus on taking useful actions 1 2 3 4 5

I see difficulties as temporary and expect to overcome them 1 2 3 4 5

I can tolerate high levels of ambiguity and uncertainty about situations 1 2 3 4 5

I adapt quickly to new developments 1 2 3 4 5

I am good at bouncing back from difficulties 1 2 3 4 5

I find humour in rough situations and can laugh at myself 1 2 3 4 5

I am able to recover emotionally from losses and setbacks 1 2 3 4 5

I have friends I can talk with 1 2 3 4 5

I can express my feelings to others and ask for help 1 2 3 4 5

Feelings of anger, loss, frustration and discouragement don't last long 1 2 3 4 5

I feel self confident, appreciate myself and have a healthy view of who I am 1 2 3 4 5

I am curious, I ask questions and want to know how things work 1 2 3 4 5

I like to try new ways of doing things 1 2 3 4 5

I learn valuable lessons from my experiences and the experiences of others 1 2 3 4 5

I am good at solving problems, I can use analytical logic, be creative and use common sense 1 2 3 4 5

I am good at making things work well and often asked to lead groups and projects 1 2 3 4 5

I am always myself but notice that I am different in different situations 1 2 3 4 5

I am flexible, optimistic, pessimistic, trusting, cautious, unselfish and selfish and so on 1 2 3 4 5

I am able to 'read' people vey well and trust my intuition 1 2 3 4 5

I am a good listener and have good empathy skills 1 2 3 4 5

I prefer to work without a written job description, I am more effective when I am free to do what I think is best in a situation 1 2 3 4 5

I am non-judgemental about others and adapt to people's different personality styles 1 2 3 4 5

I am very durable. I hold up well during tough times 1 2 3 4 5

I have an independent spirit underneath my cooperative way of working with others 1 2 3 4 5

I have been made better and stronger by difficult experiences 1 2 3 4 5

I have converted misfortune into good luck and found benefit in bad situations 1 2 3 4 5

SCORING

Over 85 you demonstrate high levels of resilience

65-85: You show the ability to be resilient in most situations

50-65: You can cope in some situations

40-50: You really struggle to be resilient

Under 40: You need to work on developing your resilience

If you're concerend about a low score, why not contact me? Don't struggle, I can help.

Ian McLeod CHP(NC), MNSHP&M, DPLT