Resilience in Mental Health: Building Strength to Overcome Life’s Challenges

Imagine a lone tree standing firm in a hurricane. Other trees have snapped or even been uprooted, but this tree withstands the winds. Its branches sway, but its roots stay strong. When the storm passes, the tree starts growing bigger and stronger than ever before.

This is the picture of resilience, the ability to withstand difficulties. In mental health, resilience describes people who are like this tree—people who stay firmly planted regardless of what life throws at them and bounce back quickly from challenges.

The best thing about resilience is it’s a skill anyone can cultivate. Let’s understand what resilience is, why it’s essential, and how to strengthen it against life’s inevitable curveballs.

What does resilience mean in mental health?

According to the American Psychological Association (APA)^[1], resilience refers to a person’s ability to bounce back from challenges. Stress and adversity are unavoidable parts of life; none of us get through life without experiencing hardships. Resilience helps us stay flexible and adapt to these challenges.

Being resilient doesn’t mean you never feel stressed when you experience challenges. It just means these hardships don’t break you. Although you may be stressed, you can return from these difficult moments.

Examples of resilience

To illustrate, imagine Alex and Maya going through the same life challenge: breaking up with their partners.

After their break-up, Alex is overwhelmed by feelings of rejection and becomes consumed by negative thoughts and emotions. He isolates himself from his support system, withdrawing from friends and family. Alex turns to unhealthy coping mechanisms like excessive drinking and overeating to numb the pain.

Rather than constructively reflecting on the relationship, Alex fixates on blame and resentment, unable to let go of past grievances. Each day feels like a struggle, and Alex finds it challenging to envision a future beyond the breakup. His self-esteem takes a hit, and he experiences feelings of worthlessness and despair. Without resilience, Alex remains stuck in a cycle of suffering, unable to move forward with life.

Maya also experiences a breakup with her long-term partner. Initially, she feels a deep sense of loss and sadness, acknowledging the pain of separation. However, Maya leans on her support system of friends and family. She actively seeks out opportunities for self-care, engaging in activities that bring her joy and fulfillment.

Maya reflects on the relationship, recognizing the lessons learned and growth achieved during her time with her partner. She maintains a positive outlook on the future, embracing the opportunity for personal development and new experiences. Maya understands healing takes time and allows herself to process her emotions without self-judgment. Through resilience, Maya emerges from the breakup with newfound strength and a deeper understanding of herself.

Maya and Alex may have experienced the same situation, but Maya shows more resilience in the face of this challenge.

The best thing about resilience is it’s a skill, not an inherent personality trait. Genetics plays a role in how resilient you are, but research has found it is minimal. This means anyone can practice resilience and strengthen their ability to bounce back from challenges.

The characteristics of resilience

Experts have identified many traits of resilient people. Some of the top characteristics of resilience include:

• Psychological flexibility: Resilient people think flexibly. They can change their mindset and approach in response to changing circumstances, ” going with the flow” rather than getting stuck in specific ways of thinking.
• Positive outlook: Resilient people often possess an optimistic outlook on life. They maintain hope and optimism and focus on possibilities rather than dwelling on adverse outcomes.
• Social support: Strong social networks provide support during difficult times and can improve resilience. Resilient people often have close relationships with family, friends, or community members who offer companionship and emotional support. Research has shown having at least one healthy connection with an adult significantly improves children’s resilience against trauma.
• Emotional regulation: The ability to manage emotions effectively is crucial for resilience. Resilient individuals can acknowledge and express their feelings healthily without being overwhelmed.
• Healthy coping mechanisms: Resilient individuals use healthy coping strategies to manage stress and adversity. This includes exercise, meditation, journaling, or seeking professional support. On the other hand, people who are not resilient are more likely to use unhealthy coping mechanisms like drug and alcohol use.
• Self-efficacy: Resilient people believe in their ability to influence outcomes and successfully navigate challenges. This sense of self-efficacy empowers them to take action and persevere in the face of adversity without losing themselves in feelings of helplessness.
• Growth mindset: Instead of seeing setbacks as failures, resilient people see them as opportunities for growth and learning. When they make mistakes, they reflect on their experiences, extract valuable lessons, and use them to make decisions for the future.

Why is resilience important?

Resilience plays a crucial role in mental health. We all face challenges in life, but particular challenges, like childhood abuse or racism, are heavily linked with mental health problems.

But even among those who experience these types of challenges, the mental health impacts differ. Some people go on to develop mental health disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, while others may not. One of the key differences between these two groups is resilience.

This doesn’t mean if you do develop a mental health condition after going through trauma or another problematic event, it’s your fault for not being resilient enough. Many things can affect your resilience, including things out of your control (like poverty and lack of parent role models). It is not your fault if you’ve found it difficult to bounce back from these challenges.

However, it does mean it’s never too late to start honing resilience. Like any skill (riding a bicycle or playing an instrument), resilience can be practiced and strengthened. When you work on strengthening your resilience, you protect yourself against future stressful events. That doesn’t mean they won’t happen, but you’ll be better equipped to handle them.

Research links positive mental health with strong resilience. People who have resilience traits are less likely to develop mental health conditions like depression and anxiety, even with other risk factors. One study found that people with higher psychological resilience have a better quality of life and a higher sense of well-being^[2].

Ways to build resilience

Here are five ways you can strengthen your resilience and prepare to bounce back from future setbacks.

Build a strong support system

One of the best ways to become more resilient is to build a strong network of supportive people in your life. Having a support network you can count on in times of trouble can help you bounce back and stay positive.

If you don’t already have trusted people you can count on, try strengthening your relationships with relatives and acquaintances. Invest in these relationships; set aside time to call or see them. Attend local meetups or events to meet new people. A support group may be a good option if you feel very isolated.

Develop a growth mindset

A growth mindset, now taught in many schools as an essential component of social-emotional learning, is adopting the mentality that your abilities and successes result from hard work and perseverance rather than innate talents. People with a growth mindset are less likely to take failures personally and give up. For example, they don’t think, “I’ll never be good at this after making a mistake at work.” They’re more likely to think, “I guess I’ll have to work at it for a little longer.”

One key aspect of resilience is having a growth mindset. When you can learn from challenges, you’re more likely to bounce back from them. Try to see failure as an opportunity for growth and learning. Whenever you face an obstacle, focus on what you can learn from the situation and what you need to change to achieve your goals.

Practice basic self-care

When your body and mind have their basic needs met, you’re less likely to fall apart when life gets hard. Self–care is precisely this—taking care of yourself physically and mentally and ensuring you’re healthy and well.

For example, if you’re sleep-deprived, life’s challenges are much more likely to negatively affect you. On the other hand, if you’re well-rested and healthy, you’d likely bounce back from that challenge much more quickly. In other words, you’d be more resilient.

Self-care looks different for everyone (although we all have the same basic needs, like restful sleep, nourishing meals, and socialization). Identify what you need to feel truly well, and prioritize these practices in your daily routine.

Cultivate optimism

Cultivating optimism is about adopting a positive outlook and focusing on hopeful possibilities, even in adversity. It isn’t about toxic positivity, which is about denying the painful parts of life. Optimism is more about turning toward hope, even when pain exists. Optimistic people see setbacks as temporary and specific to those circumstances rather than permanent and applicable to life.

One way to cultivate optimism is to practice gratitude. Acknowledge and appreciate the positive aspects of your life. Keep a gratitude journal and regularly reflect on what you’re thankful for. Challenge your negative thoughts and replace them with more optimistic and empowering ones. Surround yourself with positive influences, such as uplifting books, podcasts, or encouraging friends.

Find meaning

When facing adversity, having a sense of meaning and purpose can provide direction, motivation, and resilience. Your meaning is your “why”—your reason to keep going. When you have this “why,” you’re more likely to bounce back from challenges.

Reflect on your values, passions, and interests to identify what truly matters. Build your life and routines that align with your values and contribute to a sense of purpose and fulfillment. For example, this could include volunteering, pursuing meaningful hobbies, or investing in meaningful relationships. When you have meaning in your life, you even start to see challenges as opportunities for growth, learning, and self-discovery. You can see how even difficulties are part of the greater purpose.

Holistic mental health treatment at The Center

The Center • A Place of HOPE offers holistic mental health treatment in the beautiful Puget Sound area near Seattle, in Washington State. Whatever you’re going through, our specialized treatment programs can help you heal in every area—physically, mentally, relationally, and spiritually—to emerge stronger and more resilient than ever.

Challenges are a part of life, but you can bounce back. Contact us for more information about our programs or to request treatment.

1 – https://www.apa.org/topics/resilience
2 – https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/12/7478