Resilience Building

“The ability of an individual to thrive in the face of adversity.”

Imagine you have just been deployed to a combat zone. You know the stakes are high; the circumstances are unpredictable; and your optimal performance, imperative.How would you prepare yourself and what measures would you take to ensure your safety?

Perhaps you would enrol in the training program. Chalk out plans and strategies that best suit the given agenda. Arm yourself with load-bearing equipment, personal protective gear andammunition.You may even enlist the support and guidance of more experienced personnel to address the unexpected challenges you are bound to face along the way.

In life, we may not always have a well-drawn out plan or map to locate opposing forces,strategically execute operations and coordinate logistics. But one thing is certain – challenges are inevitable and the changes we experience as a result can have far reaching consequences. How we train and prepare ourselves, not just to adapt, but, to thrive in the face of adversity, is a testament to what we commonly refer to as – RESILIENCE!

Psychologists generally define resilience as, “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress – such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors”. Quite simply, it is your ability to bounce back from difficulties.

How do you build resilience?

It sounds pretty simple at the outset. Life is full of obstacles, right? So, overcoming them should come naturally to us! And while people have been shown to adapt well to changing situations, what we often fail to realise is – resilience is a continual process that needs to be practiced and built by constantly strengthening our protective factors.

• (i) Arming yourself with personal protective gear is step one. You may begin on a personal level with a sense of self-worth– fostering wellness of body and mind; and promoting positive lifestyle factors like sleep, nutrition, exercise, meditation, calmness and adaptive coping mechanisms.
• (ii) It also includes a feeling of belongingness – building connections and maintainingsupportive and stable relationships.
• (iii) It is about finding a sense of purpose– by setting goals and working towards them; and being proactive and contributing to social and community activities.
• (iv) Resilience embraces elements of a healthy thought process – an acceptance of situations that cannot be altered; a knack of negotiation and compromise in situations that can; an optimistic outlook and a spirit of learning and growth.
• (v) Apart from this, resilience is also about recognising when your resources are depleting and seeking timely helpfrom a professional or someone more experienced when faced with those unexpected challenges.

We all react to pain differently. And although we may not always be able to control the situation, we can equip ourselves to overcome hardships and grow. Learning to be resilient is a precautionary skill that prepares us to face hardships and ensure safety and wellbeing.

Expectations may be high; circumstances, unpredictable and optimal performance, imperative. But the human capacity to progress is just as compelling. So recognize that you are not alone and take every opportunity to train and prepare yourselves, not just to adapt, but, to thrive in the face of adversity.

Don’t just bounce back, bounce forward!