Using resilience during the pandemic
What is Resilience?
A focus on resilience may help you cope during the pandemic and social distancing/lockdown currently being experienced by many people around the world.
Resilience can be defined as a process of healthy adjustment or adaptation to various forms of adversity (1). Here we are talking about both responding to stressful events and also any resulting personal growth. COVID-19 (Coronavirus) clearly fits the category of a 'stressful life event' to which resilience is very relevant.
Resilience is not a 'thing' you are born with; it is an approach to life's challenges through a set of thoughts and behaviours. Being resilient does not stop you from experiencing stress and other difficult psychological experiences. Instead, resilience is centred around your response to tough times.
Building Resilience During the Pandemic
Remember, we are focusing on developing an ability to bounce back from tough circumstances and (hopefully) developing a more helpful view of ourselves and life along the way.
We can develop resilience through any number of healthy psychological wellness strategies already in existence. This rich source of activities allows us to tailor a resiliency plan that meets our own needs and preferences. To help organise this vast set of options, I have grouped them into the following categories: Foundation, Thinking, Relationships, Lifestyle
Foundation
Resilience is built on a foundation of fundamental self-care; a healthy diet, regular exercise, effectively managing stress, allowing time for rest and recovery. There are also many excellent psychological tools for mental wellness (e.g., meditation (2)). It can also be helpful to keep the 'big picture' in mind by helping others and working towards realistic goals.
Thinking
Your mindset and approach to difficult thoughts are other critical components of resiliency. Some useful thinking tools for resiliency include an ability to take different perspectives on a situation, optimism (3), self-compassion (4), developing forgiveness, and seeing times of adversity as useful opportunities for learning and growth.
Relationships
Having healthy social connections and seeking support when needed are two key resiliency strategies in the area of relationships. Research has consistently found that social support is good for our physical and mental health, 'buffering' us from stress (5). Resilient people also seek help when they need it, rather than pushing on without assistance (6).
Summary
COVID-19 is a huge psychological challenge and resiliency can be a useful concept for organising our response to the pandemic. We can develop our resilience with many tools. Investing in our health in this way helps equip us to respond effectively when tough times come our way.
References
(1) American Psychological Association (APA). (2020). Building your resilience. Accessed on 17th April 2020 from www.apa.org/topics/resilience
(2) Newman, K. M. (2016). Five science-based strategies to build resilience. Greater Good Magazine. Accessed on 17th April 2020 from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_science_backed_strategies_to_build_resilience
(3) See Martin Seligman's book 'Learned Optimism' for more on this topic
(4) Kirstin Neff has written a lot of useful content on self-compassion. See her book 'Self-Compassion.
(5) Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98(2), 310-357.
(6) Southwick, S. M. et al. (2016). Why are some individuals more resilient than others: the role of social support. World Psychiatry, 15(1), 77-79.