—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 – 1900) – The decline of the idols.
How do we deal with difficult events and adverse circumstances that change our lives? The death of a loved one, the loss of a job, a serious illness, a terrorist attack, a natural disaster or other traumatic events: these are all examples of difficult experiences that anyone can suffer at some point. Most people react in these situations with strong emotions and uncertainty, although they are generally able to adapt to these stressful conditions. What allows them to do it?
Resilience is the capacity that is involved in this process, a continuous process that requires time and effort that allows people to cope with these challenging situations Step by Step.
You may be interested in: “The 10 typical habits of resilient people”
Below you can find ideas to understand the concept of resilience and some indications about how to develop it and improve it.
The resilience is the process by which we make a correct adaptation in the face of adversity, traumatic events , tragedies, various threats or significant sources of stress, such as family or personal relationship problems, serious health problems or financial and work stressors. It means recovering or reestablishing yourself after a difficult experience.
Studies show that resilience is common; It is not an extraordinary ability. People typically demonstrate resilience throughout their lives; Examples of this are people who seek employment again after being laid off by their former companies, families who rebuild their homes after a fire, or relatives of victims of a terrorist attack, who make the effort to continue with their lives despite the loss of a loved one.
The ability to overcome a situation of loss
It could be said that resilience is fortitude beyond resistance. It is the ability to overcome an adverse stimulus. The resilience It involves maintaining flexibility and balance in life as you face difficult circumstances. and traumatic events.
Being resilient does not mean that the person does not experience difficulties or psychological stress. Emotional pain and sadness are common emotions among people who have suffered great adversity or traumatic moments in their lives. In fact, the path to resilience is not easy, and is probably full of obstacles and situations of instability that can affect our emotional state.
It is important to know that resilience is not a trait that people have or do not have, but rather it is a concept that includes a series of behaviors, thoughts and actions that They can be learned and progressively developed by anyone who sets their mind to it Being resilient is not an extraordinary being: this capacity is in every person. The task is to develop this capacity with attitude and firmness.
10 ways to build resilience
Building capacity to create resilience is a personal project. Not all people react in the same way to traumatic or stressful situations. An approach to improving resilience may work for one person but not another, so Different strategies can be used to promote good coping
Some of these variations often reflect cultural differences. Culture can have an impact on how a person communicates their feelings and how they deal with adversity. An example of this is the different conceptions that exist of death in various cultures; While for most Western countries death is represented as the end of all good things, it is seen as an extremely negative event and is usually a taboo subject. For the Easterners it constitutes the step towards regeneration and the reaffirmation of ancestral values that made up their community.
The key is to identify which tips can work for us and how they can be part of our own personal strategy to improve it. Below you can find ten strategies to help you build resilience for yourself
1. Establish supportive relationships inside and outside the family
It is important build good relationships with close family, friends and other important people in our lives Accepting help and support from people who love and listen to us helps provide role models and offer encouragement and security. Some people find that being active in community groups, organizations based on helping the disadvantaged, and other local groups can provide them with social support and help them have hope.
2. Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable obstacles
You cannot prevent stressful events from occurring, but you can change the way you interpret and react to them He tries to look beyond the present and thinks that in the future things will get better. See if there are any subtle ways to feel better while dealing with difficult situations.
3. Accept that change is part of life
It is possible that as a result of an adverse situation it will not be possible for you to achieve certain goals. Accept the circumstances that cannot be changed can help you focus on the circumstances that can improve.
4. Head towards your goals
Develop your ability to make realistic plans and follow the steps necessary to carry them out. Always act to get closer to your goals, even if they seem like small achievements. Instead of focusing on tasks that seem unachievable, ask yourself about the things you can improve today that will help you walk in the direction you want to go.
5. Take decisive action
In adverse situations, taking decisive action is better than ignoring problems and tensions and wish they would disappear. Don’t be afraid to reflect on the situation in front of you and, the moment you think you have reached a conclusion, move forward.
6. Look for opportunities to discover yourself
Many times, as a result of a fight against adversity, people can learn something about themselves and feel that they have grown in some way on a personal level Many people who have experienced tragedies and difficult situations have expressed improvement in managing their personal relationships, an increase in personal strength even when they feel vulnerable, the feeling that their self-esteem has improved, a more developed spirituality and a greater appreciation of life.
7. Improve your communication and problem-solving skills
The more we develop these capabilities, The better we will know how to resolve our interpersonal conflicts and the less stressful burden will fall on us It is also important to know how to manage strong feelings and impulses, allow yourself to experience them and also recognize when you have to avoid them in order to continue functioning.
Nobody is perfect, each of us has strengths and areas for improvement. It is important to accept and love ourselves just as we are, trust in our strengths and abilities and try to improve our capabilities as much as possible.
9. Never lose hope
When we are optimistic despite problems we will be more able to expect good things to happen in life. Try to visualize what you want to achieve instead of worrying excessively about what you fear will happen or what could have been but wasn’t. Even when you are faced with very painful events that cause you great discomfort, try to consider the situation that is causing you stress in a broader context, and keep a long-term perspective
10. Take care of yourself
You need to pay attention to the immaterial and to yourself: for example, you need to think about your needs and desires. Be interested in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly, it is beneficial for both your physical and psychological health. Healthy men in healthy corpore. Take care of oneself helps keep mind and body in good shape and ready to face situations that require resilience
Other ways to promote your inner strength
Some additional ways to strengthen resilience could be of great help. For example, I suggest you try writing about your deepest thoughts, emotions, and feelings related to the traumatic experience or other stressful events in your life that currently cause you discomfort and discomfort.
Meditation and some spiritual practices such as yoga or Mindfulness can also help some people establish positive relationships, improve their quality of life and focus on the future with a better perspective.
Some questions to ask yourself
Focusing on positive past experiences, developing positive moods, and improving sources of personal strength are factors that can decisively help you identify personal qualities and know the strategies that work for you when it comes to building resilience.
Questions for self-examination
With this little self-exploration exercise by answering the following questions about yourself and your reactions to the challenges in your life, you can discover how to respond effectively to difficult events.
I hope this article has been helpful to you to get to know yourself better and discover your capacity for resilience, and develop it throughout your life
