What Is Psychological Resilience?
- Jan 12, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 4
What exactly is psychological resilience, and how can you build it to better cope with life's challenges? We'll break down the meaning of this powerful tool and share practical ways to strengthen your ability to bounce back from stress and emotional turmoil.
What is psychological resilience?
Psychological resilience is the ability to mentally and emotionally cope with stress, crises, or traumatic events and effectively return to a stable state. It’s a process of acknowledging and processing emotions in a healthy way to regain control and find solutions.
If you're ready to learn more about how to strengthen your emotional well-being, we have more details to share. Keep reading for a deeper dive into the specific strategies and mindset shifts that can help you become more resilient.
What Is Psychological Resilience and How Can You Build It?
Psychological resilience is a powerful tool that can help an individual begin to move past stresses, emotional turmoil, crises, or even traumatic experiences. However, it is also something that requires practice in order to implement effectively and isn’t something that people are inherently born with.
However, learning what resilience is and how to build psychological resilience can inform each individual about how they can better maintain a healthy emotional state, even amidst intense stressors, to find an effective solution to a problem.
What Does “Psychological Resilience” Mean?
Psychological resilience is a person’s ability to mentally cope with stresses or traumatic events, and quickly and effectively return to a pre-crisis mental and emotional state. It involves a person processing these stresses in a healthy and effective manner in order to regain control of their own emotions, and thus how they respond to the stresses or crisis at hand.
It is an important skill for ensuring one’s safety both in the moment, as well as the days following stressful events. The ability to process and overcome these stressors in this manner can help a person protect themselves against any lingering effects of trauma or stress, and overall creates a solid emotional front that can continue to empower a person and their own identity, rather than succumb to stress.
Psychological Resilience Isn’t Detachment
When thinking of this kind of psychological resilience, many may think of stoic leaders who never show emotion or fear. However, this isn’t necessarily the case. Those who practice and exhibit a high level of emotional resilience oftentimes do so by acknowledging that things are stressful, traumatic, or fear-inducing, and then embracing these emotions.
Learning how to improve psychological resilience isn’t about denying these emotions, but having a plan in place to effectively acknowledge and process them quickly through the use of healthy practices and known resources.
How To Increase Psychological Resilience
Building psychological resilience is a process that requires effort and a pre-set plan. Planning ahead of time and having access to coping resources is paramount in effectively bolstering an individual’s psychological resilience.
It requires a degree of mindfulness, or the ability to acknowledge one’s own emotions, such as when they are stressed or scared, in order to begin moving past these emotions and regain control of one’s emotional state. Improving one’s psychological resilience also involves a degree of acceptance that change is an inevitability, and practice on learning how to find silver linings amidst stresses.
Psychological resilience is less about putting up a front against negative emotions, but acknowledging and contextualizing negative emotions and contrasting them against the positives in one’s life. It is an ability to look at the whole picture, and even see the negative, fear-inducing parts of one’s day as just a part of the larger whole, and move to make that larger whole an overall positive experience in life.
Frequently Asked Questions:
• Is psychological resilience something people are born with?
No, psychological resilience is not something you are born with. It is a skill that requires effort and practice to develop effectively.
• Does being resilient mean you don't show emotion?
No, resilience isn't about being detached or emotionless. It's about acknowledging difficult emotions and having a plan to process them in a healthy way.
• What is a key step in building resilience?
A key step is mindfulness, which is the ability to acknowledge your own emotions, like stress or fear, to begin moving past them and regain control.
• What is the role of acceptance in psychological resilience?
Acceptance that change is inevitable and practicing how to find silver linings are important parts of improving psychological resilience.
• How does resilience protect you from the effects of stress?
By processing and overcoming stressors in a healthy manner, resilience helps protect a person from the lingering effects of trauma or stress.
Building psychological resilience is a journey, and we at Chateau Health and Wellness Treatment Center are here to walk with you every step of the way. We understand that navigating stress and trauma can feel overwhelming, but you don't have to do it alone. Our team is dedicated to providing the support and resources you need to build a stronger, more resilient you. We're committed to helping you find an effective solution and regain control of your emotional well-being. If you're ready to start your journey toward a healthier, more resilient life, we encourage you to reach out to us at (435) 222-5225. Let us be a part of your success story.
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About The Author
Ben Pearson, LCSW - Clinical Director
With 19 years of experience, Ben Pearson specializes in adolescent and family therapy, de-escalation, and high-risk interventions. As a former Clinical Director of an intensive outpatient program, he played a key role in clinical interventions and group therapy. With 15+ years in wilderness treatment and over a decade as a clinician, Ben has helped countless individuals and families navigate mental health and recovery challenges.
Danny Warner, CEO of Chateau Health and Wellness
Brings a wealth of experience in business operations, strategic alliances, and turnaround management, with prior leadership roles at Mediconnect Global, Klever Marketing, and WO Investing, Inc. A graduate of Brigham Young University in Economics and History, Danny has a proven track record of delivering results across diverse industries. His most transformative role, however, was as a trail walker and counselor for troubled teens at the Anasazi Foundation, where he directly impacted young lives, a personal commitment to transformation that now drives his leadership at Chateau.
Austin Pederson, Executive Director of Chateau Health and Wellness
Brings over eight years of experience revolutionizing mental health and substance abuse treatment through compassionate care and innovative business strategies. Inspired by his own recovery journey, Austin has developed impactful programs tailored to individuals facing trauma and stress while fostering comprehensive support systems that prioritize holistic wellness. His empathetic leadership extends to educating and assisting families, ensuring lasting recovery for clients and their loved ones.
