Resilience: the fatal weapon against adversity

Experiencing failure or trauma paralyses you and stops you from moving forward. You’re lost and don’t know how to get your head above water. Yet everyone has an ability that proves to be a real weapon for overcoming challenges: resilience.

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Resilience is not a sign of weakness. Quite the contrary! Being resilient means knowing how to accept situations, assess them, take a step back and fight the insurmountable. It’s not an easy thing to do, but it’s an ability you have, and one that can help you move forward.

Focus on resilience

People talk about resilience, but what exactly is it? Many people have a negative image of this concept, which is actually a superpower for our mental health.

In 3 points, here are the fundamentals of resilience:

• Positive adaptation: this refers to your ability to stay on course psychologically after a period that has pushed you into the abyss.
• Rapid recovery: this refers to your ability to recover more or less quickly from a difficult event.
• Post-traumatic growth: this refers to your ability to learn lessons and develop positive aspects of your personality after the ordeals you have been through.

The links of resilience

The act of resilience can be seen as a series of links that form a chain of elements to help you overcome your failures and traumas.

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There are many different links, but here are the main categories:

• Your ego. By this we mean everything to do with your personality (optimism, self-esteem, cognitive flexibility), your emotional skills (managing emotions, problem-solving) and your physical health (healthy living and well-being).
• Your social environment. This refers to everything to do with your family, your friends, the quality of your interpersonal relationships and your communication. These are the social supports that give you support, trust and respect.
• Your environment. Whether economic or security-related, you need access to stable resources that meet your basic needs, such as adequate housing, healthy food and access to health services.
• Your cultural values. Spiritual beliefs, cultural norms and practices, and family traditions all contribute to resilience.

Developing your resilience

To overcome adversity and thrive despite challenges, your best strategy is to learn to develop your resilience. By recognising and strengthening the links in your resilience chain, you’ll forge an unshakeable weapon.

Here are a few tips to help you achieve your goal:

• Carry out cognitive-behavioural work with the help of therapists, life coaches or even books or videos on the subject. This work will help you to change your negative thought patterns and develop positive coping strategies.
• Train yourself to develop your stress management, problem-solving and effective communication skills.
• Practise self-care and meditation on a daily basis – it’s the best way to cultivate your well-being.