What is Resilience?

What is ‘resilience’? 

 Perseverance isn’t possible without it… The two traits go together. On any journey – and every goal is a journey – there will be setbacks... You'll make a mistake... Something unexpected will happen... or circumstances will change. You have to be able to recover from these setbacks. That’s what resilience is. Resilience is the ability to become strong again after something bad happens. Trees have it ...They bend in strong winds... but then spring back to their original shape. Your body suffers from a virus... you feel terrible but then your energy and strength return because your system is designed to be resilient. Your emotions need to be as strong. 

It's a vital element in human perseverance. Lynn, team leader in an event management company, worked hard on a plan for reorganizing her team. She got encouragement from her senior colleagues... She worked hard to create a presentation full of stats and graphs and well-worded reasoning. She was proud of her plan. On the day she presented it, an unexpected intervention from a board member undermined everything she argued for. She felt humiliated. She felt as if she no longer had a future at the company. After the meeting, she spoke to a colleague... She realized that there was a simple way to be resilient and deal with her disappointment. It was how people who suffered tragedies... in wars or natural disasters... got back onto their feet and continued their lives. They face the facts squarely. Lynn took time to understand what happened wasn’t her fault. She couldn’t have predicted how the board member would have intervened. But it didn’t mean that her career was over. She simply needed to try again, with a new strategy. It wasn’t as bad as she thought it was. Lynn knew that she could start again… in better shape to succeed than before. And that’s what she did. Lynn examined what had happened, learned lessons from it, and reshaped her plan. She bounced back. When she re-submitted the plan, it turned out that the negative board member had left the company. And her new plan was adopted... because it was better! Resilience is central to perseverance. By facing facts squarely, allowing time for recovery, and bouncing back with an attitude of growth, it’s possible to be resilient in the face of any setback.

 What does resilience look like? 

            People who are more resilient are likely to be better at solving problems, ask for help when they need it, and have a can-do attitude. People who are less resilient are likely to struggle under pressure, experience symptoms of anxiety and depression, and often feel deflated and hopeless when things go wrong. 

What can you do to boost your resilience? 

1. Break the problem down. It will be much easier to manage in smaller pieces. 

2. Focus on the positives. It will help you feel more optimistic about finding a solution. 

3. Build and use your support network. Whether it's friends, family, or colleagues, it's good to have someone in your corner. 

4. Look after yourself. it'll help you refocus making you feel more confident and in control. 

5. Know your limits. If we take on too much, we can feel overwhelmed and unable to cope. 

        Resilience is a skill that you can develop, and it takes practice. Over time you'll become better and better at resolving problems when they arise. Try these 5 tips to boost your bounce back ability.


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