What Is Resilience? Psychology And What It Says About This Trait

Resilience involves the ability to overcome adversity and endure challenges, and it can be vital to living a full and healthy life. This trait can be useful in several different arenas. Being able to overcome challenges, like a traumatic event, and continue to strive in the face of hardship can benefit your professional life, mental and physical health, and relationships. Resilience is useful in facing life's challenges, whether those involve natural disasters, mental health challenges, or something less severe, like perceived stress at work. Having high levels of resilience can also help people recover from physical demands or injuries, like mild traumatic brain injury. Psychology generally says that there are several factors that can contribute to building resilience, and that it may be a trait that can be fostered as part of human development. You can increase your resilience by finding your purpose, becoming a problem-solver, shifting your perspective, focusing on self-care, and building a strong support network. Adding a therapist to your support network can be especially helpful in growing your own resilience.

What is the Resilience psychology definition?

The word resilience refers to a trait that we may all have in varying degrees. The American Psychological Association (APA) and other experts define resilience as “the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands." While we focus on emotional resilience here, people also use the term resilience to describe physical resilience, family resilience, and community resilience. You can use a resilience scale to identify how resilient you currently are. Resilience scores may help identify risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Most psychologists agree that psychological resilience can arise in an individual based on a range of factors, including their personal history, the environment they grew up in, genetics, and other situational circumstances. They also typically agree that a person's ability to enhance resilience in their life can be developed over time.

Factors that may influence resilience

As mentioned above, resilience theory and research suggests there can be a combination of different protective factors that may promote resilience in individuals. Resilience research studies have found that one of the crucial factors for developing resilience in children may be perceived social support in the form of healthy relationships with adults and family members. Adults, youth, and young adults may also practice resilience-promoting behaviors in order to achieve improved resilience. Additionally, a caring environment, communication and problem-solving skills, self-confidence, and self-control can all contribute to the development of resilience. 

Researchers have generally made two other critical points when it comes to the trait of resilience. Firstly, human resilience can be built, and secondly, it may not be used up. It is likely that the trait of resilience developed as part of our biological and cultural evolution and is a positive adaptation strategy that helps the survival of the species.

Signs of psychological resilience

You may know resilient people who exhibit strength under duress or continue to strive for success despite encountering significant hurdles. There may be several qualities common to people who develop resilience, including the following:

• Situational awareness: The ability to assess the environmental context, or what’s happening around you and how events relate to one another
• Self-awareness: Understanding your own thoughts and emotions, as well as how you’re interacting with others and the environment around you
• Awareness of the behavior of others: Having high emotional intelligence and knowing why others might be acting the way they are and how your behavior may affect them  
• Optimism: The ability to remain hopeful about the outcome of future events, even if there have been negative developments in your life; having self-efficacy or self-esteem in the sense that you believe in your ability to survive and thrive
• Flexibility: Staying productive and maintaining a positive sense about a wide range of conditions and scenarios 
• Adaptability: Knowing how to make necessary adjustments and find solutions when circumstances are in flux
• Sense of control: Having a good handle on emotional regulation and being able to manage your emotions, navigate various situations, and maintain a steady demeanor 
• Problem-solving skills or a growth mindset: The ability to figure out solutions to problems that aren’t immediately clear, rather than assuming you just can't succeed
• Willingness to ask for help: Knowing that you may sometimes need assistance and support when your current coping skills aren't enough to address certain personal challenges or manage psychological distress

These are just a few examples of qualities that are often present in resilient individuals. Cultural practices, economic resources, and family cohesion may also help foster resilience. Depending on the person and the challenges they’re facing, resilience can look very different. 

How to become more resilient and improve mental health

Resilience isn't a fixed trait. There is a human capacity to develop resilience. Wondering how to build resilience in your life? 

Find your purpose

Having a goal to strive for, a cause that you’re passionate about, or an activity that you love can give you the motivation to bounce back from adversity. Studies show that having a sense of purpose can help individuals manage stress and overcome obstacles. 

If you find that a lack of purpose is making it hard for you to face challenges, consider the things in life that are important to you. Are you passionate about environmental conservation? Do you love painting? Fostering those interests may help you build resilience.  

Become a problem-solver

One of the core competencies of those who have high levels of mental resilience may be the ability to find solutions to life’s challenges. When you know how to overcome various hurdles to your objectives—whether they’re related to your wellness, career, relationships, etc.—you may find that you aren’t as bothered when setbacks occur. Often, solving problems requires creativity and the ability to change your approach to situations. 

When confronted with an obstacle, consider using the following problem-solving tips:

• Remain objective, rather than letting emotions dictate your actions
• List all obstacles to successful outcomes
• Determine the root causes of the problem
• Identify several possible solutions
• Act on the plan you develop

Problem-solving may not only help you get out of a jam, but can also help you be more proactive in identifying potential issues in the future. Problem-solving can also help you increase your emotion regulation ability, because as you learn to trust in your ability to solve problems, you may be less prone to intense emotional swings.

Practice shifting your perspective

Finding a new point of view can help you overcome situations that are hard to accept but can't be changed. One way to strengthen your resilience muscles may be to figure out what positive lessons can be learned from an experience that was a setback or a serious challenge. Maybe you learned the importance of your friends and family during difficult times, or you found out that you are adept at solving certain problems, even if they’re hard to manage. 

Changing the way you think about a situation can be referred to as reframing, and it's often used as a strategy for people with depressive symptoms or trouble with emotion regulation. While it may not always be easy to do, reframing can be a useful strategy when you find that unwanted outcomes are affecting your confidence. It is often one of the primary strategies employed during cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a widely utilized form of treatment. Talking with a licensed mental health professional can help you learn how to reframe situations in your life. 

Build a support system

Above, we discussed the ability to ask for help as a quality shown by resilient individuals. This is where a support system can be valuable. Research shows that social support can be vital to mental and physical well-being. Building a network of people who can give you guidance and care can help you work through concerns in your life and bounce back after struggles. Your support system may include friends, family, coworkers, spiritual leaders, mental health professionals, and others whom you trust.  

You can also reach out to support groups, which can connect you with people going through similar challenges. There may be a variety of support groups (e.g., groups for those living with specific physical or mental health conditions), and you can often find online meetups if there aren’t as many options in your area.   

Focus on self-care

Putting an emphasis on your emotional, mental, and physical health on a daily basis can help you face adversity. Self-care can involve anything that nourishes your body, mind, and soul. It can include everything from reading to taking a bath to doing a puzzle. The following may be several ways you can practice self-care:

Consider creating a routine that incorporates several of these self-care activities so that you can consistently tend to your mental and physical health. 

Build resilience with therapy

Working with a licensed therapist in your local area or online can be an excellent way to build resilience and address any challenges you may be experiencing.

Benefits of online therapy

If you’d like to learn more about developing resilience in your life, consider taking advantage of convenient and flexible online therapy through BetterHelp. With online therapy, you can view the journal of your messages with your therapist, which can help you track your progress regarding your adaptability, self-confidence, and emotional well-being. You can also send messages to your therapist outside of sessions, and they’ll typically get back to you as soon as they can. 

Effectiveness of online therapy

Research shows that online therapy can support individuals who are experiencing adversity and high stress levels. In a systematic review of eight different studies, researchers concluded that online therapy generally increased the resilience of healthcare workers, who often navigate demanding situations. The results of this study can be added to a growing body of research suggesting that online therapy can help individuals improve their mental health in order to better face life’s challenges.