THE BENEFITS RESILIENCE BRINGS TO THE TABLE
THE BENEFITS RESILIENCE BRINGS TO THE TABLE
Humanity is going through major challenges that have altered lifestyles dramatically with vast numbers experiencing restrictions including lockdowns. Countries are at various points of the Covid19 continuum creating a fractured world that doesn’t provide citizens with the levels of balance & certainty needed to feel they are in control. These factors are fertile ground for resilience to shine & make the journey through unknown times far more comfortable. Resilience has the qualities that can increase a person’s confidence while also reducing their levels of fear.
As we aren’t born with resilience it is a fully learnt aspect of our personality. Resilience is a result of many experienced elements that are built up & nurtured over time from life challenges faced, actions taken, outcomes of those actions & any lessons we learn from those experiences. This is the process by which we grow, develop, build resilience, strengthen our coping mechanisms, decision making etc., Resilience is defined in the Oxford dictionary as “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties” while psychological resilience is “an ability to cope with a crisis mentally or emotionally & return to pre-crisis status quickly.”
Dictionary definitions by their very nature are very specific & their communication platform requires them to be very black & white. In daily life this isn’t mirrored as we experience far more colour & nuances. People cope & function daily in a much more fluidic & experiential nature which naturally encompasses a multitude of variations. Resilience has a definite ebb & flow due to the wide-ranging scenarios that confront us & our level of coping mechanisms at any given time. The level of experience & skills a person has in their resilience toolbox also plays its part.
When populations are impacted by events supporting others where we can is a normal response. This can vary from spending time with others, contributing in many ways through to simply asking a person if they are okay & all of these can make a tangible difference. People naturally rally around in times of difficulty & Covid is an extension of this but with its own unique factors & differences. With many people laying low, in isolation or mandated lockdown the transparency & clarity of the need for support can go unnoticed. This isn’t helpful to many people’s health & wellbeing so remaining vigilant for people who may need assistance is very important. Traditionally, this aspect is undertaken by people who care about people & have high resilience levels which allows them to perform this function.
There will always be people more challenged or with less tools for resolving or coping in a scenario than we have. Awareness of this & choosing to assist others are not only important aspects as a global citizen but they can enhance your mindset & strengthen your resilience. When people have a direct connection with another & provide input that assists them the human body’s unconscious reaction is one of feeling good & contributing.
Life can provide an array of amazing feelings & experiences, but it can also provide confusing, unsettling, difficult, or chaotic feelings. Events we find most challenging are usually complicated or include many unknowns which examine our emotional & mental resilience. The world we live in has thrown up scenarios regularly over time with Covid19 being the most recent. These challenges not only require but demand resilience!
Our Guest Blogger is Paul Barry from Brisbane, Australia where he works as a Sports Performance Consultant.
