Mental resilience - a safety cushion for a crisis
Why, when dealing with stressful events or life crises, do some people break down and others come out even stronger? What influences the formation of our mental resilience (resilience), can it be increased and how to do it? Is mental resilience a "protective armor" that will allow us to successfully overcome any crisis? These are questions that arise in situations of massive threats, such as the current pandemic and the accompanying economic crisis.
The magic of resilience
Resilience
or literally resilience is a fashionable concept in recent years, the subject of much research by psychologists and somewhat shrouded in magic. It explains the phenomenon of
the good functioning of some people in spite of adverse life conditions, adversity or traumatic events..
The term is borrowed from physics, where it denotes the high elasticity or resilience of deformation-resistant materials. We now refer to it as mental resiliencehuman.
, which is the ability to recover and function relatively well after experiencing a highly stressful event. Sometimes it can even be a profound personal development, reevaluation, coming out of the crisis even stronger (increased resilience).
There are three types of situations that are manifestations of high mental toughness:.
Functioning much better than would be expected based on knowledge of risk factors
Persistence of good functioning despite the occurrence of stressful experiences
recovering from traumatic events
Being mentally resilient does not mean that a person does not experience difficulties or stress in his or her life. People who have experienced severe adversity or trauma often experience emotional pain and stress. While some factors may influence the development of resilience more than others, it is not necessarily a unique personality trait that only some of us possess. On the contrary, resilience includes behaviors, thoughts and actions that we can learn and develop.
The ability to learn and strengthen mental resilience proves that it is not something extraordinary, magical, over which we have no control.
. Like developing physical fitness, increasing mental toughness takes time and a good plan. Then it will be easier for us to prepare to endure difficult experiences and learn from them for the future.
What makes us more resilient?
The concept of resilience
explains a person's positive adaptation despite adverse life conditions or trauma experienced. Resilience processes are inseparable from the occurrence of adversity.
(highly stressful events or life circumstances) that pose a threat to the normal psychophysical development of a person and can lead to
high risk.
(greater likelihood of health or behavioral disorders) and to function well after successfully overcoming these adversities (positive adaptation). The concept of resilience is not only a process, but also the characteristics of a person to cope with adversity in a flexible and creative way. Thus, resilience is related, on the one hand, to the experience of a threat or traumatic situation, or the occurrence of an increased level of risk that poses a threat to our normal psychophysical development, and on the other hand, to the possession of skills and competencies that allow us to cope with such experiences, to overcome adversity. Mental resilience is conditioned by both innate factors and experiences, influenced by various experiences, situations, as well as the external environment:
Individual traits - e.g., high self-esteem, sense of efficacy, sociability, good intellectual functioning, problem-solving skills, cheerful disposition, belief in the future, sense of purpose in life, sense of humor, having talents (talents)
Family factors - e.g. a stable and supportive family environment, family cohesion, a sense of connectedness, warmth, close relationships between family members, good financial situation
External factors - e.g., good and safe neighborhoods, good health care, relationships with adults outside the family (mentors, leaders), membership in pro-social organizations
Also important characteristics in the development of resilience are our temperament and cognitive abilities. Of particular importance are high and adequateself-esteem and self-efficacy, that is, the belief that we can achieve the goals we set for ourselves despite difficulties. emotional intelligence also plays an important role in managing crises.
In dealing with difficult situations, behaviors such as the following are helpful:.
active search for information
ability to express positive and negative emotions
Dealing proactively with feelings and problems and accepting them when change is not possible
asking for help and using the help of others
The ability to break down a problem situation into its elements and solve them gradually
Plasticity and willingness to make changes in oneself
Basic confidence in oneself and others, and hope that the crisis is surmountable
How do you build your "protective armor"?
Mental resilience can be developed by strengthening our self-esteem and developing a sense of efficacy. High self-esteem and a belief in one's ability to handle a difficult situation have a huge impact on whether a person will use available resources and cope with adversity. Fortunately
Self-esteem as well as a sense of efficacy is not assigned to us once and for all.
They can change depending on the situation and new experiences, including those related to major events and life changes. The American Psychological Association (APA) has developed guidelines for developing mental resilience, including:
Taking care of yourself - being aware of your needs and feelings, engaging in activities you like, developing passions, physical activity, proper diet
Positive thinking - expecting good developments, focusing on what we want, not what we are stressed or worried about
Setting realistic goals - planning small steps to bring us closer to the main goal, being systematic and persistent in achieving goals
Focus on tasks - focusing on the next tasks to be done, not running away from problems, but solving them step by step (useful especially when dealing with stress and anxiety)
Work on positive self-esteem - a way of perceiving oneself, believing in one's strengths and abilities to face problems, recalling difficult situations from life that have been overcome
Let's not dwell on the past - let's direct our attention to the future, let's look at difficult situations as challenges within our capabilities, let's learn to see the broader context of difficult situations, let's not exaggerate problems
Acceptance of change - let's look at change as an inherent part of life, everything changes and we have no control over it, we can only focus on the areas we have influence over and can shape them
Relationship building - close relationships and support from those around us increase our sense of security, belonging, strengthen our resilience and self-confidence, benefit our ability to cope with difficult situations
An important part of post-crisis growth is a change in thinking about what happened to us.
The ability to find a new purpose.
when the existing ones have become unachievable, or to modify them accordingly, is one of the hallmarks of people who emerge stronger from difficulties. Such a serious and prolonged crisis as the current COVID-19 pandemic can, in many people, lead to a deep reflection on their previous lives, a change in their value system or the type of interpersonal relationships.
In crises, it is also important to be able to share with those around us what has happened to us.
and how we are experiencing it.
Studies show that people who are able to talk about their experiences and express and name their emotions are less likely to suffer from reactive depression (which occurs in response to difficult experiences). The addressees of our stories can be family, friends or the online community (more and more people are sharing difficult experiences on social media, in blogs or in press releases). Such activity is beneficial not only for people going through a crisis, but also for readers - learning about other people's stories showing how they deal with difficulties enables them to learn from these experiences, strengthens their self-confidence and develops their coping skills.
In the initial period of crisis and confusion, it is also worthwhile to seek psychological consultation or crisis intervention,.
which will make it easier for us to express our emotions, identify available resources and areas for development, and outline a concrete action plan that we can follow. Author:
Dorota Strzelec.
Psychologist, career counselor, crisis intervener, coach, trainer Professional Assistance Center
