Oct. 22, 2021 — Although you may hear the terms “grit” or “resilience” a lot, they are personality traits that can help you navigate life, regardless of your stressors.
While you can certainly become resilient over time, your past plays a key role in helping you bounce back from even the most difficult times.
“Some people become more resilient because of such life experience like loss, trauma and stress,” Julie Sochacki JD, a clinical assistant professor of English at University of Hartford. She began teaching resilience to her first-year students after her son was diagnosed as cancer. He is now in remission. “These experiences provide opportunities to practice resilience skills. Contrary to this, if you have had a life of ease, you may not have been able to practice these skills.
Other than a history of dealing with difficult times, optimism is another trait associated with resilience.
“Resilient people tend not to see the glass half-full,” says Ken Yeager, PhD, director of Stress, Trauma and Resilience program at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Grit is a combination of a sunny outlook and a willingness to take calculated risk that others wouldn’t.
“Resilient people don’t fear failure,” Yeager says. They don’t view failure on a task as a reflection or their individual abilities. They learn from failure.
The good news is that there’s always hope. You don’t have to be too old for inner strength.
“The ability to bounce back no matter what the circumstances are can be learned and developed,” Natalie Bernstein, PsyD (a Pittsburgh psychologist). “It’s never too late for you to become more resilient,” I always say.
Here are five ways you can be more resilient.
Try to put things in perspective.
Bernstein believes that changing your mindset can help you bounce back better. She says that changing your perspective is the best way to achieve this. Instead of thinking that you are having a bad day, you might be having a bad moment. These feelings can be reframed by paying attention to your surroundings.
Rethink stressful situations.
Bernstein suggests that in order to be more resilient, you should look at the bigger picture and consider your role in a particular situation.
She says that it is possible that the driver honked at you to let him or her in your lane, and not because he/she was impatient. It’s possible that your boss or partner is having a bad day, and that’s why they snapped at you. You’ll be able to cope better if you are clear about the actions of others and realize that they probably have nothing to do.
Practice gratitude.
Research has shown that gratitude can change attitudes.
Bernstein states that if you focus on the positive aspects of your life, it will be easier to adapt to less-than-ideal circumstances.
Get support.
It can be very beneficial to have a support network of family members and/or friends who you can count on to be there for you.
Bernstein states that knowing you have people to support you in difficult times can make you stronger and more able to deal with whatever life throws at you.
Before you act, acknowledge your feelings.
Neglecting your stress won’t help you find inner strength.
Bernstein advises that instead of trying to become more resilient, you should validate your feelings and allow yourself to feel fear and disappointment. Once you have given yourself space, you can create a plan for how you will respond or move forward. This small act of self-responsibility will help you build strength and grit.
WebMD Health News
Sources
Julie Sochacki JD, clinical associate professor of English University of Hartford West Hartford, CT.
Ken Yeager, PhD, Director, Stress, Trauma and Resilience program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus OH.
Natalie Bernstein, PsyD, psychologist, Pittsburgh.
(C) 2021 WebMD LLC. All rights reserved.
Read More
