Importance of Resilience

Resilience is a capacity that influences the control and management of one’s own emotional states. Becoming aware of the need to cultivate this quality is a first step towards taking greater care of our general well-being. It contributes to: 1) reducing stress levels, helping us to stay calm and think clearly in times of greatest pressure;

2) assume greater self-control, exercising more assertive decision-making by objectively evaluating the facts and circumstances;

3) establish a criterion of relevance regarding conduct and actions;

4) reduce the effects of negative emotions of distress and anxiety, preventing them from taking control of situations for us;

5) cushioning traumatic experiences, guiding us towards an adequate assessment and management of pain and suffering; and 6) elevating the state of self-awareness and self-reflection that support emotional balance.

Throughout life we ​​face multiple situations that are adverse to our personal goals, failures in projects and painful losses, either as unavoidable events or as a consequence of our own actions. Whatever the nature and origin of the negative circumstances to which we are exposed, the ability to adapt and recover from the psycho-emotional effects that they impose on us, known as resilience, becomes the key tool to strengthen character and assume the positive attitude necessary to assume the constructive learning that allows us to overcome and continue moving forward.

Although it is a human condition specific to each individual, resilience can also be addressed as a value shared by communities, organizations and systems, in which case the promotion of cultural patterns oriented towards its promotion and development allows the generation of healthier social dynamics with collective and individual benefits.

The tendency to face life with greater optimism thanks to resilience contributes to the development of a better quality of life and to having a higher degree of personal satisfaction, even in the face of disagreements, helping to maintain adequate self-esteem that also contributes to mental well-being in general.

The art of turning failure into learning for success

The transformation of negative events into a source of potential meaningful experiences from which to learn, in addition to making us capable of overcoming difficulties more efficiently, allows us to cultivate the ability to persist, reducing the margin for abandonment and apathy in the face of obstacles, assuming challenges as enriching challenges that foster personal growth and self-improvement. Therefore, resilient people show greater adaptability to change, maintaining a high level of performance in the fulfillment of their tasks, with a notable tendency to establish clear goals to achieve increasingly demanding objectives that allow them to achieve the success they aspire for themselves and those around them.

Increasing resilient potential

This promotion of the desire for self-improvement by resilience becomes an element of inspiration for others, being a powerful tool in the development of efficient leadership and the construction of more positive interpersonal relationships, since the person with a high level of resilience also increases their capacity to help and offer the necessary support for the generation of solutions to common problems in their environment.

Like any personal skill, resilience can be stimulated through adequate education and training, with the social and cultural context and belief patterns setting a considerable tone for it. However, the development of this quality can be assumed as part of the strengths that we must nurture throughout life, taking conscious action regarding its need at any time and with the support of specific resources such as: 1) participation in training programs that teach skills for addressing and solving problems; 2) access to psychological guidance services, therapies and personal or group counseling focused on the area; 3) the generation of social support networks, family, social relationships and friendships, with people who share the same desire for self-improvement and allow an adequate level of empathy and solidarity; and 4) the adoption of personal habits towards personal and health care, as well as organization and planning of activities.