Resilience is that hard to define quality or tendency to cope with stress or hardship in such a way that allows some people to bounce back; to not only rise above the ashes, but to come back stronger than before. Resilience is a course of action identified by:
- Optimism
- Confidence
- Healthy coping strategies
- Self-guided improvement
- A positive attitude
- The capacity to control emotions
- The skill to exploit failure or disappointment as useful feedback
Self-guided improvement or self-help is a broad movement made up of numerous groups, each with their own proponents, techniques, advice, methods, motivations, beliefs, and focuses. Self-help utilizes publicly accessible information and support groups to provide emotional support, empirical knowledge, solutions, friendship, guidance, information, and a sense of belonging. A self-help course of action includes:
- Identifying and understanding your problem
- Breaking your problem down into small, manageable parts
- Defining goals
- Educating yourself about the solutions available to you
- Creating a plan
- Putting your plan into action
- Measuring progress
Some mental health issues may be too challenging or serious to safely address on your own and may require professional help. Get professional help if:
- You are in acute danger
- You experience hallucinations or delusions
- Someone you trust has asked you to get professional help
- You have numerous failed self-help efforts
- You suffer from alcohol or substance abuse
- You’re not sure what your problem is
Keywords: resilience, self-help, self-guided improvement, improving your life, psychologist, help
Online Resources
Build skills to endure hardship
Mayo Clinic
How to develop and use a personal strategy for enhancing resilience
American Psychological Association
