Outlooks & Setbacks Saturdays

“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” ― Joseph Campbell

Resilience refers to both the process and the outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, according to the definition from the American Psychological Association (APA).

[1]

Resilience means having the mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and ability to adjust to both internal and external demands.

“It’s your ability to withstand adversity and bounce back and grow despite life’s downturns,” says Amit Sood, MD, the executive director of the Global Center for Resiliency and Well-Being and the creator of the Resilient Option program. (Dr. Sood is also a member of the Everyday Health Wellness Advisory Board.)

It’s important to note that being resilient requires a skill set that you can work on and grow over time. Building resilience takes time, strength, and help from people around you. You’ll likely also experience some setbacks along the way. It depends on personal behaviors and skills, like self-esteem and communication. External factors, like social support and resources available to you, also have an impact.

Being resilient does not mean that you don’t experience stress, emotional upheaval, and suffering. Demonstrating resilience includes working through emotional pain and suffering.

Read on to learn all about resilience, including more about resilience theory, how to build resilience, and how resilience can impact your health.

What Is Resilience Theory?

People face all kinds of adversity in life. Resilience theory refers to the ideas surrounding how people are affected by and adapt to challenging things like adversity, change, loss, and risk. Researchers have applied resilience theory across different fields, including psychiatry, human development, and change management.

[2]

Studies of resilience demonstrate that resilience isn’t a fixed trait. You can grow your capacity to practice resilience, and it’s not constant in all facts of life. You might demonstrate a lot of resilience when it comes to one challenge you’re faced with, but struggle more with being resilient when it comes to another. 

Flexibility, adaptability, and perseverance can help you tap into your resilience by changing certain thoughts and behaviors. Research shows that when students believe that both intellectual abilities and social attributes can be developed and improved — commonly known as having a “growth mindset” — they increase their own resilience, showing improved performance and a lower stress response to adversity.

[3]

According to Dr. Sood, resilience involves these five principles:

• Gratitude
• Compassion
• Acceptance
• Meaning
• Forgiveness

The Top Factors That Build Resilience

Developing resilience is both complex and personal. It involves a combination of inner strengths and outer resources, and there isn’t one universal formula for becoming more resilient.

According to the APA, some of the key factors that contribute to personal resilience include:

[1]

• The ways you view and engage with the world
• The availability and quality of social resources
• Specific coping strategies

Resilience isn’t something people tap into only during overwhelming moments of adversity, according to research on resilience theory. It also builds as people encounter all kinds of stressors every day.

[4]

What Are the Seven Cs of Resilience?

Ken Ginsburg, MD, a pediatrician specializing in adolescent medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a cofounder of the Center for Parent and Teen Communication, developed the 7 Cs model of resilience to help kids and teens build the skills to be happier and more resilient.

The 7 Cs model is centered on two key points:

• Young people live up or down to the expectations that are set for them, and they 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.

Reaching Teens, a book edited by Dr. Ginsburg and published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, summarizes the 7 Cs as follows:

[5]

• 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.
• Confidence Ginsburg says that 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 Individuals need a fundamental sense of right and wrong to make responsible choices, contribute to society, and experience self-worth.
• Contribution Ginsburg says that having a sense of purpose is a powerful motivator. Contributing to your community reinforces positive reciprocal relationships.
• Coping When people learn to cope with stress effectively, they are better prepared to handle adversity and setbacks.
• 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.

The 7 Cs of resilience illustrate the interplay between personal strengths and outside resources, regardless of age. 

Types of Resilience

The word resilience is often used on its own to represent overall adaptability and coping, but it can be broken down into categories or types:

Psychological Resilience

Researchers define psychological resilience as the ability to cope with or adapt to uncertainty, challenges, and adversity. It is sometimes referred to as “mental fortitude.”

[6]

People who exhibit psychological resilience develop coping strategies and skills that enable them to remain calm and focused during a crisis and move on without long-term negative consequences, including distress and anxiety.

Emotional Resilience

How people cope emotionally with stress and adversity varies from person to person, according to the Children’s Society. Some people are, by nature, more or less sensitive to change. A situation can trigger a flood of emotions in some people and not in others.

[7]

Emotionally resilient people understand what they’re feeling and why. They are able to manage external stressors and their own emotions in a healthy, positive way.

Physical Resilience

Physical resilience refers to the body’s ability to adapt to challenges, maintain stamina and strength, and recover quickly and efficiently. It’s a person’s ability to function and recover when faced with illness, accidents, or other physical demands.

Research shows that physical resilience plays an important role in healthy aging, as people encounter medical issues and physical stressors.

[8]

Healthy lifestyle choices, connections with friends and neighbors, deep breathing, time well spent to rest and recover, and engagement in enjoyable activities all play a role in physical resilience.

Community Resilience

Community resilience refers to the ability of groups of people to respond to and recover from adverse situations, such as natural disasters, acts of violence, economic hardship, and other challenges to the group as a whole.

Real-life examples of community resilience include New York City after the 9/11 terrorist attacks; New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina; and the communities of Gilroy, California, El Paso, Texas, Dayton, Ohio, and Uvalde, Texas, in the wake of mass shootings.

What Does the Research Say About Resilience and Why It’s Important?

A study published in 2022 suggests that people who show resilience, in combination with coping capabilities and emotional intelligence, are more likely to have better overall well-being and life satisfaction than those with lower resilience.

[9]

Another study from 2022, which surveyed 1,032 college students, showed that emotional resilience was linked to stress having a lesser negative effect on social adaptation and life satisfaction during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

[10]

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, Sood says. “[It’s] the core strength you use to lift the load of life.”

That said, other research highlights the difficulty in studying resilience. A study that examined spousal loss, divorce, and unemployment found that the statistical model used to interpret the resilience scores greatly influenced the results. The authors concluded that prior research may have overestimated how common resilience is, and suggested that resilience may be more difficult to quantify and study than previously thought.

[11]

How Do I Train Myself to Be More Resilient?

The good news is that resilience can be learned. And it’s not about learning how to “grin and bear it” or to simply “get over it.” Nor is it learning to avoid obstacles or resist change.

Building resilience is a process by which people become better at reframing thought patterns and tapping into a strengths-based approach to working through obstacles.

As a process, it doesn’t happen overnight, and even if you are already resilient, it’s something you have to work at to maintain. Dr Sood suggests the following steps may help you build resilience over time:

• Develop self-awareness. Understanding how you typically respond to stress and adversity is the first step toward learning more adaptive strategies. Self-awareness also includes understanding your strengths and knowing your weaknesses.
• Build self-regulation skills. Remaining focused in the face of stress and adversity is important but not easy. Stress-reduction techniques, such as guided imagery, breathing exercises, and mindfulness training, can help you regulate your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.
• Learn coping skills. There are many coping skills that can help in dealing with stressful and challenging situations. They include journaling, reframing thoughts, exercising, spending time outdoors, socializing, improving sleep hygiene, and tapping into creative outlets.
• Increase optimism. People who are more optimistic tend to feel more in control of their outcomes. To build optimism, focus on what you can do when faced with a challenge, and identify positive, problem-solving steps that you can take.
• Strengthen connections. Support systems can play a vital role in resilience. Bolster your existing social connections and find opportunities to build new ones.
• Know your strengths. People feel more capable and confident when they can identify and draw on their talents and strengths.

Resilience is not a permanent state. You may feel equipped to manage one stressor and overwhelmed by another. Remember the factors that build resilience and try to apply them when dealing with adversity.

Trina Dalziel/Getty Images

Resilience and Health Conditions

While research into how resilience directly impacts health is limited, there are some older studies that indicate it might.

One study focused on resilience when experiencing a chronic illness. The research showed that resilience, particularly social connections and a strong sense of self-worth, helps people face and adapt to living with chronic illness.

[12]

 An older review of existing research on resilience and chronic disease suggested that a person’s resilience can influence both the progression and outcome of illnesses.

[13]

Resilience can also be a protective factor against psychological distress in adverse situations involving loss or trauma. It can help in the management of stress levels and depressive symptoms. Psychological resilience refers to the mental fortitude to handle challenges and adversity.

A more recent study concluded that people with higher resilience are less likely to experience mental health conditions. Researchers went as far as saying that resilience was an important factor in fighting mental health conditions, and suggest that strengthening resilience could be an excellent large-scale method of preventing mental health disorders.

[14]

Jens Magnusson/Getty Images

Resilience in Children

Kids confront any number of challenges as they grow — from starting school and making new friends to adverse, traumatic experiences, such as bullying and abuse.

Cultivating resilience from a young age — the ability to adapt well to adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, and even sources of everyday stress at school or work — can help children manage stress and feelings of anxiety and uncertainty, according to the APA.

[15]

The 7 Cs model specifically addresses how to build resilience in kids and teens. It lists competence, confidence, connection, character, contribution, coping, and control as essential skills for young people to handle situations effectively.

Parents can help children develop resilience through positive behaviors and thoughts. The APA lists 10 tips for building resilience in young people:

[15]

1. Foster social connections.
2. Help children by having them help others.
3. Maintain a daily routine.
4. Take breaks from structured activities and have some “downtime.”
5. Teach self-care.
6. Set realistic goals.
7. Nurture a positive self-image.
8. Keep things in perspective.
9. Encourage self-discovery.
10. Accept change as part of life.

There is no universal formula for building resilience in young people. If a child seems overwhelmed or troubled at school and at home, parents might consider talking to someone who can help, such as a counselor, psychologist, or other mental health professional.

Does Gender Affect Resilience?

Studies on resilience and gender suggest that men and women may respond differently to adversity and trauma. But the results have been conflicting.

In terms of survival and longevity, women historically thrive in greater numbers than men during times of crisis, such as famines and epidemics.

[16]

On the other hand, a different study suggests that on average, for women, resilience doesn’'t protect against increased depression that is associated with widowhood. In men, higher resilience scores had a positive impact on depression.

[17]

Examples of Resilience

Stories of public figures, celebrities, and other personalities who have overcome challenges in life can help others feel less alone.

Maarten de Boer/Getty Images

Celebrities Who Have Shown Resilience

• Randy Travis The country music superstar regained his voice and his life after suffering a massive stroke. Learn more about his struggles and hope for the future.
• J.K. Rowling The author was divorced, on government aid, and struggling to feed her family just three years before she sold the first Harry Potter book. The manuscript was rejected dozens of times before publisher Bloomsbury bought it.

  [18]

   Now Rowling and her books are a global phenomenon.
• Emily Blunt As a child, the film actress struggled with a stutter that silenced her in the classroom and among her peers. But a teacher’s suggestion that she try out for a school play helped Blunt finally overcome her stutter.

  [19]

• Sterling K. Brown The actor, whose uncle died from pancreatic cancer, set out to normalize the experience of cancer survivorship.

  [20]

• Jennifer Hudson The singer’s mother, brother, and nephew were murdered by her sister’s estranged ex-husband. In the wake of the tragedy, Hudson worked through her pain by creating the Julian D. King Gift Foundation.

  [21]

   Named after her late nephew, the charity provides support and positive experiences to help children from all backgrounds grow into productive and happy adults.
• Lionel Messi The soccer superstar was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency at age 11.

  [22]

   The medical costs were too much for his parents, but the sporting director of FC Barcelona heard about his plight and arranged a tryout. Messi made the team and earned the money to cover his treatments.
• Rita Wilson An actress, singer, songwriter, and breast cancer survivor, Rita Wilson and her husband, Tom Hanks, helped alert the world to the new threat of COVID-19 when they shared their diagnosis. The experience inspired Wilson to become a flu shot advocate.

  [23]

Other Stories of Resilience

Every day, people from all walks of life face health and personal challenges. Their stories of resilience offer hope and inspiration to others facing adversity.

• Cherie Binns: The MS-certified nurse is helping others live better with the disease.
• Alisha Bridges: Bridges wants others with psoriasis to know that they’re not alone.
• Howard Chang: The Everyday Health blogger (“The Itch to Beat Psoriasis”) and his family have had to weather multiple health storms.
• Lydia Emily: Painting helps this artist deal with the challenges of MS.
• Tori Geib: For Geib, having metastatic cancer means living with the disease as well as she can.
• Sydney Heersink: Sydney shares lessons she learned about coping with a cancer diagnosis.
• Tina Aswani Omprakash: She has battled Crohn’s disease for over a decade and is helping raise awareness about the condition.
• Don Ray: How one man beat the odds and has thrived for decades with type 1 diabetes.
• Nicole Schalmo: A young actress wouldn’t let a shocking diagnosis deter her from her dreams.

The Takeaway

Resilience helps you bounce back and thrive when facing life’s inevitable challenges. Building resilience involves physical, psychological, and emotional adaptability, as well as strong support systems. Remember, cultivating resilience is a journey—start by focusing on your inner strengths and resources around you to tackle tough times courageously.

Resources We Trust

• Cleveland Clinic: Resilience Training
• Mayo Clinic: Resilience: Build Skills to Endure Hardship
• Human Rights Institute: The Human Rights Resilience Project
• American Psychological Association: Resilience
• Edutopia: Resources on Developing Grit, Resilience, and Growth Mindset

Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.

Sources

1. Resilience. American Psychological Association.
2. Ledesma J et al. Conceptual Frameworks and Research Models on Resilience in Leadership. Sage Open. August 2014.
3. Yeager DS et al. Mindsets That Promote Resilience: When Students Believe That Personal Characteristics Can Be Developed. Educational Psychologist. June 2012.
4. Ong AD et al. Advancing the Study of Resilience to Daily Stressors. Perspectives in Psychological Sciences. November 2022.
5. The 7 Cs: The Essential Building Blocks of Resilience. Fostering Resilience.
6. Afek A et al. Psychological Resilience, Mental Health, and Inhibitory Control Among Youth and Young Adults Under Stress. Frontiers in Psychiatry. January 2021.
7. Emotional Resilience. The Children's Society.
8. Whitson HE et al. Physical Resilience in Older Adults: Systematic Review and Development of an Emerging Construct. The Journals of Gerentology . April 2016.
9. Lacomba-Trejo L et al. Are Coping Strategies, Emotional Abilities, and Resilience Predictors of Well-Being? Comparison of Linear and Non-Linear Methodologies. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. June 2022.
10. Hu J et al. Perceived Stress and Life Satisfaction During COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of Social Adaptation and the Moderating Role of Emotional Resilience. Psychology, Health & Medicine. February 2022.
11. Infurna FJ et al. Resilience to Major Life Stressors Is Not as Common as Thought. Perspectives on Psychological Science. March 2016.
12. Kralik D et al. Resilience in the Chronic Illness Experience. Educational Action Research. February 2007.
13. Cal SF et al. Resilience in Chronic Diseases: A Systematic Review. Cogent Psychology. February 2015.
14. Weitzel EC et al. The Association of Resilience with Mental Health in a Large Population-Based Sample (LIFE-Adult-Study). International Journal of Environmental Research in Public Health. November 2022.
15. Resilience Guide for Parents and Teachers. American Psychological Association. 2012.
16. Zarulli V et al. Women Live Longer Than Men Even During Severe Famines and Epidemics. Biological Sciences. January 2018.
17. King BS et al. Depressive Symptoms and the Buffering Effect of Resilience on Widowhood by Gender. The Gerontologist. December 2019.
18. Lanyon C. Years of Rejection Just Made J.K. Rowling More Determined. New York Magazine. November 2016.
19. As a child, Emily Blunt was bullied for stuttering. Acting helped her cope. Washington Post. April 5, 2018.
20. Actor Sterling K. Brown is the Face of ‘Survivorship Today’ Shedding Light on Life After Cancer. Cure Today. October 15, 2020.
21. Jennifer Hudson opens up about murders of her mom, brother and nephew: 'Of course you still get sad'. Yahoo. December 1, 2019.
22. Mackey E. How tall is Lionel Messi? Growth deficiency as a child and current height. The New York Times. December 14, 2022.
23. Rita Wilson Wants You To Get Your Flu Shot. NPR. September 26, 2020.

Positive & Negative Attitudes

What’s the best way to learn to be more resilient?