5 Ways to Recognize Resilience

Quick Win

Resilience helps us adapt when faced with adversity. You might be more resilient than you realize.

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Recognize resilience in yourself:

• You’re not afraid to ask for help. Resilient people know that sometimes they need social support to help them overcome a difficult situation. They aren’t afraid to talk with a friend or request assistance from an expert.
•  You look for the silver linings. Resilient people seek out the positives in difficult situations and constantly learn from life’s hurdles. Positive emotions may help you cope and bounce back from challenges.
• You take good care of yourself. To cope with life’s trials, you need to be in good mental and physical shape. Resilient people prioritize self-care: eating healthy, taking brain breaks to meditate or getting a good night’s sleep.
• You take responsibility. One of the surest signs of resilience is refusing to consider yourself a victim, says Eva Selhub, M.D., a resiliency expert and author of Resilience for Dummies. Resilient people believe that “life is happening with me, it’s not happening to me, which means I'm a ​co​​creator​ of my life and the outcomes that I'm participating in,” ​Selhub​ says​.
• You have a sense of belonging. This could be achieved through activities such as religion or volunteering, meditation or connecting with nature. “A higher sense of spirituality conveys better health and well-being as well as resilience,” Selhub says. Resilient people ​surround themselves with a network of supportive individ

Why

Resilience is what many experts call your “bounce-back muscle.” It allows us to rebound when we encounter a setback, which helps us conquer our fears, tackle challenges and remain optimistic in tough situations. A strong sense of resilience has been linked to everything from improved mental health to better stress management. In a survey of more than 3,500 people 65 and older, those with higher resilience also had lower stress and depression and higher overall quality of life, according to a study reported in 2022 in Geriatric Nursing.