Emotional Resilience

Emotional resilience simply refers to ones ability to adapt to stressful

situations or crises. More resilient people are able to roll with the punches
and adapt to adversity without lasting difficulties, while less resilient people
have a harder time with stress and life changes. We all know someone who
seems much better at handling stress or a difficult situation that someone
else does. To some degree, emotional and physical resilience are something
we are born with. Some of us have always been the sensitive kind while
others are not bothered by anything. Some of us dont like rugged physical
activity while others can play in the mud all day long! Both biological and
social factors contribute to personality development, so there is something
about being naturally resilient that is out of our control. However,
psychological and social research have demonstrated that emotional
resilience is something that can be learned or improved upon no matter what
level of it we are born with. Adolescence is also the time in life where we
build upon previous skills and learn new ones. IMSA kids are presented
with lots of opportunities to explore what has worked in the past and doesnt
work anymore. You can observe and learn new ways of coping

Characteristics shared by emotionally resilient people

Emotional Awareness: They can identify what they are
feeling and why they are feeling that way; i.e. Im not feeling
sad, Im feeling angry (the feeling) about what Jean said in
class today (the event) because it hurt my feelings (the reason).
Perseverance: the motto here might be the only way to get
through it is to go through it. Resilient people are often
action oriented and dont give up, even if they are not
succeeding or doing things perfectly.

Internal Locus of Control: These people believe that they are

in control of themselves most of time and that they have a
choice in most situations.
Optimism: Resilient people can see or find the positive aspects
in most situations and believe they will handle whatever
comes along.
Support: They know the value of social support and are able
to find and surround themselves with supportive friends and
family.
Perspective: Resilient people are able to learn from their
mistakes rather than deny them, see obstacles as challenges to
be overcome or adjusted to, and find meaning in difficult
situations rather than seeing themselves as a victim of
uncontrollable circumstances.
Sense of humor: They are able to laugh at themselves and
lifes difficulties as a way of coping with something
unpleasant.
Handling troublesome emotions: They have the capacity to
manage strong feelings and impulses rather than give into
them.

A lot of the time it does

depend on how we choose
to see our internal world.

Ten Ways to Build Resilience

[Adapted from American Psychological Association: Help Center;
www.apahelpcenter.org/featuretopics/features.php?id=6&ch=4]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jkonig/570661322

1). Make Connections

Good relationships with close family members, friends, or
trusted adults are important. Accepting help and support from those
who care about you and will listen to you strengthens resilience.
Ever heard the expression, dont go it alone? We need both
positive and negative feedback in order to grow. This is best heard
from people we trust and respect; people we feel connected to.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/damopabe/3233957139/

2). Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems

Easier said than done! Unfortunately, you cant change the
fact that highly stressful events happen, but you can change how you
interpret and respond to them. Interpret the situation or event
realistically. Avoid getting down on yourself. Think things through
before you respond. Get consultation!! Of course, some problems
really do feel insurmountable, like the death of someone you care
about or some other major setback in your life. Those things also

cannot be changed. They can only be endured in the best way

possible. Resilient people use their connections when it is hard to
accept the things they cannot change.

http://www.how-to-change.com/

3). Accept that change is a part of living

The one constant in life is that things change. Certain goals
are no longer attainable, while specific situations are no longer
tenable. In a book called The Road Less Travelled, Scott Peck states
that once we admit and understand that life is simply difficult at
times, it ceases to be so difficult. Folks who cannot tolerate change
in their life-circumstances are the ones who suffer most.

4). Move toward your goals

Learn to know the difference between realistic and unrealistic
goals. This does not mean that you dont push or challenge yourself.
It also does not mean that you shy away from difficult tasks that you
are not familiar with. It does mean that some goals are currently
unreachable unless smaller goals are met first. So, do something
regularly, even if it seems like a small accomplishment, that enables
you to move toward your ultimate goal (i.e.: Ultimate goal = have
great time management skills; Smaller goal = write stuff down in

assignment notebook for one week to see if this helps). Instead of

focusing on tasks that seem unachievable, ask yourself Whats one
thing I know I can accomplish today that helps me more in the
direction I want to go? Heres a dumb example: I want to be a
physicist, but Im stressed out about all these classes and wondering
if I can ever finish them successfully. What college will I get into?
What if I cant get into MIT? My life will suck! (Smaller goal):
Relax. Being a physicist is some years away. For today I can
finish the problem set and talk with the teacher this afternoon about
that one problem I cant understand. When you really think about it,
this is how physicists, doctors, authors and teachers become
physicists, doctors, authors and teachers; one step at a time.

5). Take decisive action

Sometimes we wish tough situations would just go away.
Actually, thats a pretty normal first response to a difficult situation
or event. Resilient people act on these situations as much as they can.
Rather than detach themselves and let somebody else worry about it,
they take decisive action. The motto could be When in doubt, just
do the next right thing. Usually, there is time to think about what
might be done. Talk to people. Get information. Bounce ideas off
someone. Ask a friend what they would do in a similar situation.
Resist acting impulsively (unless you are being attacked by a shark).
And yes, sometimes taking decisive action is deciding to do
nothing until there is more information.

Amanda Townsend, Class of 2004--- tried karate

for the first time in the IMSA Karate Club

6). Look for opportunities for self-discovery

Resilient people are open to learning new things about
themselves, even if these things might be unpleasant. One of the
best ways to learn something about you is to go through a difficult
situation. People who have experienced tragedies and hardship have
reported better relationships, a greater sense of strength (even while
feeling vulnerable), a more developed spirituality, an increased sense
of self-worth, and a heightened appreciation for life. An
unwillingness to discover new things about yourself can lead to
denial and ignorance. We need to learn how we handle a variety of
things in order to identify the things we want to change. That equals
growth rather than stagnation.

7). Nurture a positive view of yourself

Developing confidence in your ability to solve problems and
trusting your instincts helps build resilience. Negative self-talk is a
big part of this picture. Talented and gifted people tend to be
perfectionists and use negative self-talk at an early age. They get
down on themselves for a variety of reasons, but usually for less than
perfect performance in some situation. Talking bad about yourself to

yourself always reinforces the need to perform perfectly in order to

manage a negative self image, i.e. I did this well, therefore I am a
good and worthy person. Nurturing a positive view of your self
means that I am a good and worthy person regardless of how I
perform. This leads to self-acceptance in the face of less than
perfect performance. So, learn to talk positive to yourself in the
midst of stressful situations. The motto here might be give your
self a break.

8) Keep things in perspective

Avoid blowing things out of proportion. Even when facing
very painful events, try to consider the stressful situation in a broader
context and keep a long-term perspective. This is much more
difficult to do in an extremely stressful situation, like the death of
someone close to you, but it is a characteristic of emotionally
resilient people. An example closer to home: failing a class at
IMSA is not the end of the world or your future. College awaits and
this is just one of the many bumps that the road life will offer up to
you.

9). Maintain a hopeful outlook

Some people are naturally optimistic; everybody else has to

work at it! An optimistic outlook enables you to expect that good
things will happen in your life. Try to visualize what you want to
happen, rather than worrying about what you fear most. For some
reason human beings find it easy to focus on the negative aspects of
their lives. Often times, we have to actively look for the good things
and not allow the bad stuff outweigh them. Optimism is a choice.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/
mriley/148014731/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sim
ply_iz/3568402568/

10). Take care of yourself

You cannot develop emotional resiliency if you are depleted
most of the time. Another fun motto is Dead things dont grow.
We have to feed and nourish ourselves or we end up empty. The
expression running on empty means that you are just going
through the motions and have nothing left to give. Know when you
need time away. Pay attention to our own needs, feelings and signals
from your body. Know when to rest. Incorporate play into every
schedule. Exercise in whatever way you enjoy. Taking care of
yourself can also be hard work. Sometimes limits have to be set
with friends and family to safe-guard your time.