Bouncing Back To Resilience By Miranda Watkins

Resilience, by definition, is the ability to bounce back from life's adversity.

Life has many challenges and it is not the efforts to avoid them but how we respond that can be a predictor of our overall coping. Resilience is something that can be taught and developed in childhood. It can also be learned as an adult, and this growth can provide a buffer to deal with potential hardships. Resilience can be about prevention and not just coping strategies. Building resilience can enhance all domains of life - from relationships, family life and working life to adapting through life transitions.

Some ways to build resilience can include the following:

  • Viewing crises as challenges to overcome rather than overwhelming problems
  • Acceptance of change in life
  • Surrounding ourselves with supportive life relationships
  • Looking after yourself with compassion and care and focusing on your strengths
  • Practicing emotional awareness and developing self awareness
  • Taking charge of your life and taking on new challenges and expanding our comfort zones
  • Allowing flexibility in our attitudes and keeping an open mind
  • Overall lifestyle management - sleep, nutrition, exercise and relaxation.

Building resilience can be an ongoing process and one in which we can invest time in gifting this to ourselves, which will enable us to pass it on to those we love, especially our children.

For more information, the following resources can be useful:
 
 Teaching your child resilience

 
 Martin Seligman - YouTube video on flourishing from Happiness and Its Causes 2012 


 The Resilience Project


 
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