What is resilience?
Resilience (Psychological): The ability to cope with stressors; to recover quickly from setbacks, big and small; to resist the negative risk factors of future harmful events.
Who would benefit from increasing their resilience?
The person who isn’t handling the stressors that comes with practicing law would benefit most. You don’t have to be experiencing severe symptoms. If you are not living a happy, engaged, purposeful and balanced life, you are less likely to be a resilient person.
Have you ever said something like, “I need to bounce back from…this situation. Dealing with a trauma or significant problem can knock you down. Yet, for many people it is the day-to-day grind that eats at the fiber of our strengths, values and happiness. The fact is that most people could benefit from increasing their resilience.
How would you benefit from resilience training?
• Your benefits can be significant. You would learn:
• How to evaluate the Risk-Reward Ratio
• How to not sweat the small stuff
• How to move through the maze of tasks when dealing the difficult issues
• How to build a resilient approach to living
Individuals that demonstrate resilience have been called survivor, stress-resistant, invulnerable, tough-minded and strong-willed among others.
How can you increase your resilience?
There are many tools, strategies and exercises to build resilience. You would need to review the areas of resilience building and then decide which areas you needed to focus on. It is usually better to take any constructive action, even if it turns out not to be the very best response. Your beliefs, internal dialogue, feelings and other personal resources determine the quality of your response.
What are the basic areas of resilience training?
1. Emotional Awareness/Regulation: Identifying and controlling emotions
2. Impulse Control: Slowing down and staying aware
3. Flexible Optimism: Thinking more optimistically about the future
4. Explanatory Style: Shifting into realistic-optimism
5. Causal Check: Thinking accurately about the causes of problems
6. Empathy: Identifying and understanding the emotions of others
7. Self-Efficacy: Confidence in one’s ability and using one’s strengths
8. Reaching Out: Taking appropriate risks, connecting with others
9. Humor: Using reframing, atypical thinking and irony
10. Resilience Structure: Setting yourself up to be successful
I hope that this has been helpful.