The concept of psychological resilience has permeated virtually every aspect of soldier's lives. Millions of dollars are invested each year promoting it and countless hours are spent attending and delivering presentations, filling out surveys and practicing self-help techniques.
So, what is psychological resilience? And more importantly, how does one become resilient?
"Bouncing back from adversity," "returning to baseline," and "rebounding after tragedy" are just a few of the buzz phrases used on pamphlets, newspaper headlines and talk show lead-ins describing the concept. Ask a university professor or social scientist and you'll probably get an additional 50 or so words added to the definition, most which provide no real benefit for your understanding. Bottom line, resilience is effectively managing the challenges life throws at us.
There's quite a bit of debate on how you actually teach someone to be resilient. In fact, not everyone is sold on the idea that you can teach resilience. The military is betting against these critics as it has invested significant resources with the hopes of doing so. Regardless of who's right, below are four simple things you can do to push back when the intermittent disappointments, distress and disasters of life put you on your heels. What you call it is up to you.
Dump the cloud. If you tend to be one of those people who always seems to be under a dark cloud, it's time to find a little sunshine. Negativity drains the psychological reserves needed to combat adversity. If you look for the silver lining in all things and remain positive, there's not much you can't handle.
Find some new birds. There's wisdom in the saying "birds of a feather flock together." It's good to hang around with people who are like-minded. But, if the people you hang out with are always getting into trouble or have a poor outlook on life, it's time to spread your wings and find some new acquaintances.
Visit your inner pharmacy. Each year we spend billions of dollars on medications trying to achieve happiness and to become anxiety- and stress-free. The truth is that we can make our own medicine that protects us against life's challenges: laughter. Research has shown that a few well-placed chuckles throughout the day can improve your mood and attitude and protect you against illness.
Put your shoulder into it. Passive recipients of life's cruel surprises are less likely to recover from hardships than those who meet them head on. Instead of retreating from a problem move toward it.
Bret A. Moore is a clinical psychologist who served in Iraq. Email kevlarforthemind@militarytimes.com. Names and identifying details will be kept confidential. This column is for informational purposes only. Readers should see a mental health professional or physician for mental health problems.
