Bouncing back from Adversity 

Life is not always linear. Everybody has had both happy and sad days. Some days may feel worse than others. Even while we may not be victims in reality, we may feel like such at times. It’s crucial to keep in mind that we have a better chance of overcoming most forms of hardship if we maintain mental equilibrium. Everyone faces ups and downs in life. These experiences give us courage, strength, and hope. They also bring valuable life lessons and help us gain a deeper understanding of our abilities through the challenges we face. 

Events in our lives that are regrettable, demanding, or unpleasant can be characterised as adversity. It’s been claimed that challenging circumstances can present excellent teaching moments. Buddhists, for instance, claim that lotuses cannot exist without mud. In other words, we cannot identify fortunate times and circumstances if we have never experienced hardship. An alternative perspective is that if we accept whatever happens to us and reduce our expectations, we will feel more accepted generally, which will make adversity less of a problem.

What is Resilience? 

The ability to recover from life’s setbacks is resilience. Avoiding challenging circumstances or acting as though nothing is wrong when it isn’t are not signs of resilience. It’s managing difficult situations by maintaining our emotional and mental flexibility, which is a skill we can improve with practice.

Why is it Crucial to develop Resilience? 

Building resilience is crucial because it enables you to overcome obstacles in life more easily, bounce back from failures, and feel better overall. According to Joe Grasso, PhD, vice president of Workforce Transformation at Lyra Health, “Resilience can help you bounce back and reduce the effects of stress.” “Setbacks are one of life’s certainties and a universal part of the human experience, but research and probably your own experience show that resilience can help you bounce back.”

The good news is that, with support and practice, anyone can develop resilience. How to become more resilient and practice every day? 

1. Put acceptance into Practice.

It’s normal to feel sad or frustrated during trying times and to worry about the future. Although these feelings can be unsettling, they are common. Despite your instincts telling you to avoid, eliminate, or suppress difficult feelings, that can make things worse. Instead, try practising mindfulness to accept what has happened.

Examine your thoughts and emotions without attempting to alter them or assigning a positive or negative name. Be mindful of your bodily experiences as well. Is your jaw clenched? Are your shoulders clenched? You can accept what has happened without having to approve of it. For it to pass by recognising, and not passing judgement on physical distress symptoms.

2. Pay attention to what you can manage. 

It can feel like you’re slipping when you believe that decisions are beyond your control. It can be empowering to concentrate on what you can control and acknowledge that you can alter your direction. Adversity can undermine confidence in your ability to change your circumstances. For instance, you can begin to fear that no matter how hard you try, you will fail if you are caught off guard by a poor performance review. However, those concerns are not only unfounded, they may also result in risky inaction.

Changing your viewpoint can help you become more resilient. You could, for instance, respond to a poor performance assessment by acknowledging that it doesn’t determine your future success and reinterpreting it as a chance for improvement rather than an affirmation of your failure.

3. Strive for a different objective 

Establishing a new objective is another resilience tactic. You might wish to start dating again, find a new career, improve a relationship, or learn a new skill. Have you neglected a pastime, cause, or interest? Reaching a goal can motivate you to keep going and help you refocus on your ideals.

4. Have a positive outlook. 

When learning how to develop resilience, your mindset counts. Some individuals believe that optimism is simply a naive perspective on the world, or that you are either inherently optimistic or pessimistic and have little capacity to change. In actuality, optimism is predicated on our ability to interpret our circumstances. 

The three Ps are how some scholars in positive psychology define optimism:

• Personalisation: Recognise your accomplishments and efforts, and recognise that there are a variety of reasons why failures occur. 
• Pervasiveness: Instead of using setbacks to define who you are, see them as disappointing in one aspect of your life. 
• Permanence: Focus on the positive aspects and room for growth, acknowledging that difficulties are transient and subject to change.

5. Make connections with other people 

It takes a team effort to build resilience. We rely on our relationships with friends, family, and coworkers to support us throughout difficult times. Having trustworthy people in our lives is important, but it’s not enough on its own. We also need to build genuine connections with them, so they can truly support us, help reframe our challenges, and validate our efforts.

It helps to be specific about your needs when asking loved ones for support. As you pursue new objectives, you can ask friends or family to support you, hold you accountable, or even provide a helping hand. By requesting specific forms of assistance, you can increase the likelihood that people’s efforts will be appreciated and lessen uncertainty about how they can best assist you.

6. Look after yourself 

Making self-care a priority promotes emotional health, lowers stress, and keeps one’s mood upbeat. You may “fill your tank” and avoid going through difficult moments “on empty” by making an investment in self-care routines like getting enough sleep and engaging in activities you enjoy.

7. Develop your ability to solve problems. 

Instead of feeling overpowered, problem-solving abilities enable us to take on obstacles and find answers. Breaking down difficult problems into manageable steps and looking for alternative viewpoints are two examples of problem-solving techniques. You can develop resilience by learning and using problem-solving techniques.

8. Seek expert Assistance.

Speaking with a mental health expert can be a very effective resilience tactic. Being resilient does not imply that you should be able to handle significant stressors without expert assistance. A therapist can assist you in addressing the ideas, emotions, and actions that are causing you distress and in creating a life that is characterised by your values and aspirations rather than your hardships.

According to Neenan (2018), resilient people tend to be more adaptive, receptive to new experiences and changes, and adopt a positive outlook when they view setbacks as teaching moments. A comprehensive study on resilience over the past few decades has identified several protective and promotive elements that contribute to an individual’s resilience. These consist of self-control, education, parenting, genetics, mentality, and social resources (Lopez et al., 2021).

The most robust individuals have probably benefited from a mix of these fundamental human defence mechanisms. It’s important to remember that resilience is a quality that can be acquired and enhanced over time.

Conclusion 

Resilience in psychology refers to the collective capacity to bounce back from, withstand, or reorganise after experiencing stress or adversity. It is an essential tool that can shield people from the negative impacts of stress and give them back control over their lives, which can even spur development and constructive transformation. Resilience is crucial because it enables individuals, groups, and systems to flourish in the face of hardship, cope with stress and uncertainty, and keep evolving and getting better over time.

FAQs

1. What is resilience? 

The ability to recover from life’s setbacks is resilience. It’s managing difficult situations by maintaining our emotional and mental flexibility, which is a skill we can improve with practice.

2. How to develop resilience?

Setbacks are one of life’s certainties and a universal part of the human experience, but research and probably your own experience show that resilience can help you bounce back.”

3. How to create a positive outlook?

 When learning how to develop resilience, your mindset counts. Some individuals believe that optimism is simply a naive perspective on the world, or that you are either inherently optimistic or pessimistic and have little capacity to change. In actuality, optimism is predicated on our ability to interpret our circumstances.