Resilience doesn’t have to involve climbing a mountain. No, it’s often the little habits that you have that could prove that you’re resilient, without you even recognizing it. Here are eleven things that suggest you’re more resilient than you realize, according to science. Do any of these sound familiar to you?
Reframing a tough moment on the fly
Those who are resilient refuse to keep dragging the same negative thoughts around. They simply pause & decide that they can try things differently.
Research calls such behaviour “cognitive reappraisal,” and studies have found that people who exhibit it have more resilience during stressful moments.
Letting go of an unreachable goal and picking a new one
It’s quite a skill to be able to recognize that a goal isn’t reachable anymore. It’s even more impressive when you stop pushing against the wall & choose a new path for yourself.
Research proves it, too. Withdrawing from a dead-end goal & reengaging in a more realistic one is a sign of better psychological health.
Talking to yourself like you would to a friend
You refuse to beat yourself up after a mistake. No, you work on working out what you can do next, and you use a kind tone with yourself when doing so. You have a real sense of self-compassion.
Studies have found that people who care more for themselves tend to have stronger resilience & better coping mechanisms.
Keeping a bit of play in hard seasons
It doesn’t matter how swamped you might be. You always make sure that you have time to do something fun, like doodling or playing a game, perhaps even taking part in a hobby.
It’s something that research proves is important. Being able to stay playful during tough moments is a good sign that you have more resilience.
Using humor to loosen the grip of stress
Resilient people deal with stress far better than those who aren’t. They’ll crack a joke that shouldn’t be funny, yet it somehow lightens the whole moment, and it’s part of something research refers to as “coping humor.”
It’s useful because it helps you deal with stress. Coping humor is associated with having a stronger sense of resilience in your everyday life.
Reaching out early for concrete help
You’d rather not tough it out alone when something bad happens. As soon as something starts slipping, you’re fine to reach out for some help or perhaps someone to vent to.
Resilience research indicates that timely help is rather important. Why? Because it improves your ability to handle difficult moments effectively.
Switching into problem-solving mode fast
That’s not all for venting. You don’t get stuck in the cycle of feeling annoyed & you’ll start on the next step once the initial reaction passes.
Studies have found that people with more resilience are also those who naturally shift into action. They’d much rather not loop on the issue. It keeps them ahead.
Taking the next step even with messy feelings around
There are some days when you feel anxious or annoyed. You might simply feel like you’re not in the mood. Yet you still manage to deal with whatever needs doing, and you continue working despite your feelings.
Psychological flexibility research has found it’s connected to stronger feelings of resilience.
Keeping one steady routine when everything else is messy
Likewise, you have a single habit that you refuse to lose. It’s true even when your life gets busy. Perhaps it’s your morning start-up routine or the way you finish your evenings, but either way, stress-period research shows that resilient people have such a habit.
Being able to hold onto small routines means you’ll likely cope better with problems.
Looking for useful feedback after a miss
Resilient people dislike being around those who sugarcoat things. They’d rather go straight to someone who’ll give them a real answer, where they actually find out what went wrong.
It allows them to fix what actually went wrong. According to studies, such behaviour is common among people who recover better from issues. They’re also more resilient overall.
Staying realistic when you hope for a good outcome
Being resilient doesn’t have to involve pretending that everything’s perfect. At the same time, you don’t have to assume that disaster is coming at every opportunity because you see the situation clearly.
It’s called “realistic optimism.” Studies have found that people with a realistically optimistic mindset handle stress with more resilience.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.