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A Time for Resilience
Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity. It allows us to recover from change or hardship, as individuals, families, communities and organizations. Resilience encompasses both strength and flexibility. It is associated with elasticity, buoyancy and adaptation. All of the attributes of resilience would seem essential in the current climate given market volatility and the unpredictability of global economic conditions. This issue of the Behavioral Risk Bulletin will focus resilience, its importance and strategies for building and enhancing resilience in times of crisis.
Aristotle, once said; "You are what you repeatedly do." What you do repeatedly through thoughts and actions eventually become your habits. Some theorists feel that resilience is a trait, inborn, hardwired into our being, that it is an innate aspect of our personality. Others suggest that resilience can be developed. Advances in brain science tell us that what you think and how you think can influence the actual anatomical structure of the brain, as well as neurocircuitry and neurochemistry. This concept, known as "neuroplasticity" suggests that despite earlier ideas that our habits, thoughts and beliefs are set in stone, that in fact you can teach old dogs new tricks. The brain continues to grow, change and adapt to challenges across our entire lifespan. Our thoughts shape our brains as much as our brains shape our thoughts. This relationship is now known to be a two-way street. We can use this knowledge to promote resilience in ourselves and in our organizations.
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What Does Resilience Look Like? |
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Resilience is defined by several cognitive, emotional and behavioral markers. How an individual acts when confronted with sudden change or adversity helps us see resilience in action, it is observable. Resilient people demonstrate flexibility, durability, and the ability to organize and manage ambiguity. These individuals tend to be proactive rather than reactive, to have an attitude of optimism and a mindset that is open to learning. The resilient person is positive and views life as challenging but full of opportunities.
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These may sound like personality traits and some may be, but that does not mean that individuals cannot develop resilience. By identifying and practicing these behaviors individuals can build or bolster resilience in themselves and support resilience in others around them. |
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Learn Ten Tips for Building Resilience... |
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