Resilience

“When we learn how to become resilient, we learn how to embrace the beautifully broad spectrum of the human experience.”
― Jaeda Dewalt

What is Resilience?

According to the dictionary, resilience is “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.”

According to Harms et 2018, resilience tends to have two somewhat distinct meanings. On one hand, resilience can mean the ability to resist being damaged or deformed by traumas or destructive forces. On the other hand, resilience can also mean readily “bouncing back” or recovering from those traumas or destructive forces. The first definition perceives resilience as a trait an individual needs to survive. The second definition instead emphasizes resilience as a means of thriving. This distinction is important, as an individual facing adversity can go further than merely coping by finding meaning in the trauma-inducing events and utilizing this meaning to enhance their well-being.

Resilience won't make our problems go away. Resilient people do experience stress, setbacks, and difficult emotions, but they tap into their strengths and seek help from support systems to overcome challenges and work through problems. Resilience empowers them to accept and adapt to a situation and move forward. Resilience is not just the ability to bounce back, but also the capacity to adapt in the face of challenging circumstances, whilst maintaining a stable mental wellbeing. Resilience isn't a personality trait – it's something that we can all take steps to achieve. If one is not as resilient as one would like to be, one can develop skills to become more resilient.

The 7 Cs of Resilience

(Source: https://twitter.com/diggingdeepjrnl/status/1009494886310178823

The 7 Cs resilience model was developed by pediatrician Ken Ginsberg, MD, to help children and adolescents build resilience. Learning competence, confidence, connection, character, contribution, coping, and control helps us build inner strength and utilize outside resources — regardless of age.

The 7 Cs model is centered around two key points:

Young people live up or down to the expectations that are set for them and need adults who love them unconditionally and hold them to high expectations.
How we model resilience for young people is far more important than what we say about it.

The American Academy of Pediatrics summarizes the 7 Cs as follows:

Control
- Developing an understanding of internal control helps individuals act as problem-solvers instead of victims of circumstance. When individuals learn that they can control the outcomes of their decisions, they are more likely to view themselves as capable and confident.
Competence
- This is the ability to know how to handle situations effectively. To build competence, individuals develop a set of skills to help them trust their judgments and make responsible choices.
Coping
- When people learn to cope with stress effectively, they are better prepared to handle adversity and setbacks.
Confidence
- True self-confidence is rooted in competence. Individuals gain confidence by demonstrating competence in real-life situations.
Connection
- Close ties to family, friends, and community provide a sense of security and belonging.
Character
- A fundamental sense of right and wrong is needed for one to make responsible choices, contribute to society, and experience self-worth.
Contribution
- Having a sense of purpose is a powerful motivator. Contributing to one’s community reinforces positive reciprocal relationships.

How to build resilience

(Source: http://www.sagchip.org/news.aspx?newsid=3051)

(Source: https://www.calmsage.com/what-is-resilience-why-building-resilience-is-important/)

Resilience

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