The Power of Resilience

In life we all face many obstacles and come across challenges at some point. How we handle the challenges and adverse situations we face is so important. Resilience is defined as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties in life. Becoming more resilient empowers you to grow and improve your life.

We all have resilience, but we may not know how much and how well to use it. Building resilience comes with the willingness to do so. One characteristic of someone who is resilient is that they do not wallow or dwell on failures. Resilient people acknowledge the situation and move forward even after their mistakes. Leading psychologist, Susan Kobasa acknowledges there are three elements that are essential to resilience: challenge, commitment, and personal control. Someone who is resilient may view a difficult situation as a challenge. Seeing failures and mistakes as lessons to be learned and personal growth opportunities. Resilient people are committed to goals, relationships, friendships, or even the causes they care about. With personal control resilient people spend their time focusing on situations and events that they have control over. If you spend your time worrying about uncontrollable events it can leave you feeling lost or helpless.

Do not worry if you are not a naturally resilient person because you can learn to develop a resilient mindset and outlook. Here are some tips to help you build resilience:

-Set goals. Set realistic goals for yourself, and do something regularly to move towards your goal. Instead of focusing on tasks that seem unachievable, try making small accomplishments daily.

-Make connections. It’s important to have positive relationships with friends and family members. Having someone you can talk to about a situation, share your feelings, and support you can help boost your resilience.

-Practice self-care. Make time for activities you enjoy. Set aside time for self-care activities. Whether it be taking a walk, meditating, journaling, or whatever you need to make sure you are taking time for yourself.

-Accept change. Change is a part of life. Accepting circumstances that you cannot control can help you focus on circumstances that are in your control.

-Maintain a positive outlook. Maintaining a positive outlook while dealing with something difficult is an important part of resiliency. It enables you to expect good things to happen.

-Believe in your abilities. Being confident in your own ability to cope with stress can play an important role in resilience.

We can all learn to be more resilient. Focus on practicing these skills, and do not get discouraged if you struggle to cope during certain situations. Resilience may take time to build, so do not get discouraged.

Sources:
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/resilience.htm
https://www.verywellmind.com/ways-to-become-more-resilient-2795063

Jill Haupts, Outreach Coordinator for The Kim Foundation

Jill Haupts is the Outreach Coordinator at The Kim Foundation. She received her bachelor’s degree in Child, Adult, and Family Services from Iowa State University in 2016. Jill joined the Kim Foundation in January coming from Des Moines, Iowa. Her previous experience includes volunteer recruitment and fundraising, as well as experience coordinating services and providing resources to adults who have a mental health diagnosis. Jill’s role in the foundation is coordinating event logistics, presenting and attending community fairs, as well as volunteer coordination and recruitment. She enjoys working in the nonprofit field and has a passion for advocacy and helping others.