What Is Resilience?
Resilience is a psychological trait translated as "mental resilience" or "adversity strength." It refers to the ability to overcome stress and difficult situations, and sometimes grow from them.
What's important is that resilience is not an innate quality but a skill that can be strengthened through training.
Three Cognitive Styles That Support Resilience
Psychological research has revealed thought patterns common to highly resilient people.
1. Recognition of Temporariness
View difficult situations as "temporary" rather than "permanent."
- Low resilience: "It will never go well again"
- High resilience: "It's difficult now, but the situation will change"
2. Recognition of Specificity
Perceive problems as limited to specific areas rather than spreading to entire life.
- Low resilience: "I failed at work. I'm no good at anything"
- High resilience: "This project failed, but other areas are unaffected"
3. Balance of Externalization and Internalization
Attribute causes of failure to modifiable factors rather than essential personal flaws.
- Low resilience: "I have no ability"
- High resilience: "Preparation was insufficient. I'll change my approach next time"
Cognitive Reappraisal Techniques
When facing adversity, you can adjust emotional reactions by consciously changing the interpretation of situations.
ABCDE Method
A cognitive restructuring technique developed by psychologist Albert Ellis.
- A (Adversity): Adversity, event
- B (Belief): Beliefs and interpretations about the event
- C (Consequence): Emotions and actions arising from beliefs
- D (Disputation): Arguments against irrational beliefs
- E (Effect): Effects of new beliefs
Practice Example
A: Couldn't answer a question during a presentation
B: "Everyone thinks I'm incompetent"
C: Embarrassment, fear of next presentation
D: "Did I confirm everyone really thought that? Would I be judged incompetent just for not answering one question? If I were in the audience, how would I view someone who couldn't answer a question?"
E: "The areas I need to prepare for have become clear. I can improve next time"
Resilience Training for Daily Practice
1. Three Good Things
Every night, write down three good things that happened that day and think about "why they happened" for each.
This habit strengthens the brain's circuits for noticing positive events, making it easier to maintain balanced perspective during adversity.
2. Worst Case Scenario Analysis
For situations causing anxiety, consider the following:
- What would happen in the worst case?
- What's the probability of that happening?
- If the worst happened, how could I cope?
- What's the most likely scenario?
In most cases, it becomes clear that the worst scenario is unlikely to occur, and even if it does, it can be handled.
3. Using Strengths
Recognize your strengths and think about how to utilize them in difficult situations.
Using strength assessments like VIA (Values in Action) to understand your top 5 strengths makes it easier to consciously demonstrate them during adversity.
Approach from the Body
Resilience is closely related not only to cognition but also to physical state.
Autonomic Nervous System Regulation
The following techniques are effective for calming stress responses:
- 4-7-8 breathing method: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, exhale for 8 seconds
- Progressive muscle relaxation: Tense and then relax muscles throughout the body in sequence
Foundation for Recovery
The following elements enhance the effectiveness of cognitive resilience training:
- Sufficient sleep (7-9 hours)
- Regular exercise
- Maintaining social connections
Post-Traumatic Growth Perspective
The ultimate form of resilience is not just recovering from adversity, but growing from it.
Research on Post-Traumatic Growth shows that the following changes can occur through difficult experiences:
- Clarification of life priorities
- Discovery of new possibilities
- Deepening of relationships
- Recognition of personal strength
- Deepening of spirituality
This doesn't mean you should seek adversity, but that when facing unavoidable difficulties, there's potential to find meaning from them.
Summary
Resilience is not the ability to avoid difficulties, but the ability to face them and recover. By acquiring cognitive reappraisal skills and reinterpreting situations from perspectives of temporariness, specificity, and modifiability, you can improve your ability to cope with adversity.
As something to start today, try the habit of writing "three good things" every night. This small practice becomes the foundation for maintaining balanced perspective during difficult times.