2 Signs That You're Resilient

Resilience is not emotional immunity or constant calm under pressure. Resilience is the ability to adapt successfully in the face of adversity, trauma, or significant stress, and distress can be part of the process. Research following people after the September 11, 2001 attacks and people after the 1999 floods found that many individuals classified as resilient still reported moderate to severe symptoms during difficult periods. What distinguished resilient individuals was not the absence of stress, but their capacity to continue functioning and gradually return to baseline over time. Resilience therefore modifies the relationship to stress rather than eliminating it.

"Resilience is often misconstrued as a kind of mental toughness or emotional immunity. But research shows that, in reality, it's a lot more flexible than most of us give credit for. We typically picture someone resilient as someone who's completely unshaken by stress and always calm under pressure-someone who's emotionally steady no matter what life throws at them."

"We're led to believe that resilience is a means for avoiding distress, when, really, it's about how we respond to it. In fact, two of the most reliable signs of resilience look like the opposite of what we typically envision. 1. Resilient People Keep Showing Up, Even When They Don't Want to"

"Psychologists define resilience as the ability to adapt successfully in the face of adversity, trauma, or significant stress. An important part of this definition is that, oftentimes, feeling anxious, tired, or emotionally stretched is an important part of resilience."

"In a renowned 2009 longitudinal study, researchers mapped New Yorkers' resilience trajectories following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, as well as Mexicans' resilience trajectories following the 1999 floods. In both samples, the authors found that many individuals who were classified as resilient still reported distress during difficult periods. More specifically, this meant that resilient individuals still experienced moderate to severe symptoms after their traumatic experiences. What distinguished them was not the absence of stress but, rather, their ability to eventually continue functioning and gradually return to baseline."

Read at Psychology Today