It is not just your ability to bounce back, but also your ability to adapt well when faced with life’s setbacks, challenges, or traumatic events with more lasting impact.
Stressful life changes, such as the sudden loss of sight, the death of a loved one, an unexpected health diagnosis, the end of a relationship, work or financial stressors, affect everyone differently; you may react to these events with strong emotions and a sense of uncertainty, and sometimes be left with a heightened sense of emotional and physical vulnerability. Yet we usually find a way to cope and even grow from these difficult life experiences that change our lives.
Being resilient doesn’t mean that you will not struggle, experience difficulty or emotional distress when things don’t work out as planned or protect you from pain when faced with adversity. Resilience enables you to feel pain and sadness (and anger, anxiety, and guilt) and to move through these emotions so that you can continue to find enjoyment in life and better handle stress.
People commonly demonstrate resilience. You already have personal experience of your level of resiliency in being flexible and adaptive during this current coronavirus situation. This shows that resilience is ordinary, not extraordinary.
Ways to build your resilience
Developing resilience is an ongoing process that takes time and practice, but it is a skill that can be learned. Here are some ways to strengthen resilience that may help:
