In these days of crisis and anxiety, exercising our resilience is more important than ever. It is an exercise of transformation, in which to start from the frailties in order to make the strengths flourish and better face the present and the future.
Written and verified by the psychologist GetPersonalGrowth.
Last update: 24 March, 2022
It is the word of the moment, we know, yet it is really necessary and it is a source of inspiration. The lessons of resilience at the time of the Coronavirus they are not just a suggestion or a message to post on our social profiles. It is a psychological health exercise that you need to understand, like someone who keeps the secrets of a treasure, in order to feel it every day of his life.
First, resilience is not a trait. It is not a mechanism that the human being automatically activates when things get complicated. It is rather a process, a muscle to train while bearing in mind that there will be less easy days, in which we will feel weak and in which we will struggle to take on the weight of the world.
Recalling Nietzsche's famous quote "What does not kill strengthens", we must avoid that adversity devastates us completely or leaves us definitively without resources. And this is something that can happen to anyone at some point in life.
We can fall and even feel defeated for a certain period of time. Nevertheless, we must emerge from the ruins of our life and rise from our ashes with hope and courage.
We insist: it is a complex process that requires commitment. To flourish among concrete is the most complex art, but also the most beautiful of the human being.
Resilience lessons at the time of the Coronavirus
The good life is a process, it is not a state of mind, said Carl Rogers, psychotherapist and exponent of the humanist approach in psychology.
The same happens with suffering, fear and crises. Suffering is not a state of mind proper to the human being: we are not in the world to suffer nor do we have to feel bad to know what life is. The pain must always be temporary and rise to further life experience.
However, in order for everything to be brief and allow us to adapt much better to the complexity of the surrounding environment, we must learn to be resilient. But what does it really mean?
In fact, even if we are used to hearing this term, it is an idea that was born in the field of physics and that began to be used in the field of psychology starting from the 40s.
We can simply define it as the ability of the human being to recover from adversity without being damaged. Now, while the idea emerges in physics and engineering that those “resilient materials” can return to their original state after having suffered an impact, in psychology this phase is not present.
In reality, after having lived through a difficult period, no one is the same anymore. We do not return to the original state: we improve, we learn new skills to face obstacles, to better navigate the sea of ​​life.
No, we are not 100% resilient - this is a skill that needs to be worked on
We know that it is important to apply resilience to the time of the Coronavirus, but psychology teaches us that very few people can rely 100% on this feature. To test us, just refer to the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-25). The items are as follows:
- I can easily adapt to changes.
- I tend to cope with any obstacles or complications successfully.
- I try to see the bright side of any situation when I have to deal with a problem.
- I can handle stress.
- I tend to recover quite well after an illness, injury or other obstacle.
- I am skilled in achieving my goals.
- When I'm under pressure, I think and act lucidly and with determination.
- Failure doesn't make me lose heart.
- I consider myself a strong person when I face the challenges and difficulties of life.
- I skillfully manage emotions such as sadness, fear and anger.
It is hidden in our nature and we must train it: our strength can emerge from our vulnerability
Columbia University conducted an in-depth study on the psychological impact of 11/XNUMX on survivors. A verifiable finding is that the post-traumatic stress index was not as high as it was initially thought. Most of the victims showed remarkable resilience.
65% of this sample demonstrated an important resilience, during which different strategies were applied. The first was admitting one's vulnerability. That is, to understand that we can all suffer the impact of obstacles on our skin and that it is our absolute right to suffer, to feel vulnerable, hurt ...
It was also deduced that in each of us resides an impulse, an internal force that invites us to a path of healing that consists in learning from our experience. and in looking at the present with a stronger, more decisive and even hopeful look.
Resilience lessons in the time of the Coronavirus: accepting and preparing for change
Nassim Taleb, writer and author of books such as The Black Swan, recently wrote that during the current pandemic it is good to keep in mind one aspect: although the word "resist" has been put into our mouth, he prefers to eliminate it from this equation.
To resist means to gather strength to bear something that overwhelms us and that oppresses us. According to the writer, this is not the time to waste energy by making an effort; it's time for acceptance and something more. We have to prepare for change and that means making use of another type of energy.
The lessons of resilience at the time of the Coronavirus translate into the need for change and transformation. Those who undertake to resist remain stationary in the same point, instead we must move forward; first of all by surviving, living, making sure you are well. But the future brings changes and only the resilient heart and mind will be able to adapt and make the most of that new chapter in life. Let's think about it.
