Humans are born with resilience. It’s an innate quality we all possess. Like most qualities, resilience needs nurturing. And what better time than now – as we’re navigating the ups and downs of pandemic recovery – to discuss how to replenish your resilience reservoir?
“We have all been through a heck of a 2020 and 2021,” says Cheryl Van Demark PT, C-IAYT, Physical Therapist and Certified Yoga Therapist, Physical Rehabilitation Services at Dignity Health, Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC). “The pandemic has challenged all of us—particularly those on the frontlines of healthcare, people who have survived COVID-19, and those who lost loved ones to the virus. But no matter your experience, we’ve all had to figure out what it takes to successfully come through a pandemic. And that, in itself, demonstrates human resilience.”
If you’re feeling “rattled,” as Van Demark calls it, you’re not alone. Anxiety is up among all age groups in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 42% of people surveyed in December 2020 reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, an increase of 11% from the previous year.
What is resilience?
The American Psychological Association defines resilience as, “The process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, and significant sources of stress.” Your parents or other influential people in your life may have called it “bouncing back” after a setback.
Van Demark encourages you to create a “triumphant list” of past situations in which you have demonstrated resilience.
“It’s important to remember times that we have triumphed over a challenge, gotten back up after a setback, or even come back after being knocked flat,” she explains.
Qualities that Build Resilience
Day-to-day life stressors may only dip into your resilience reservoir. But other experiences – major illness, divorce, the death of a loved one, a pandemic and more – will draw heavily on your resilience capacity. There are certain human qualities that experts, like Van Demark, know support us during difficult life experiences. They include:
Flexibility
Problem solving
Perspective
Humor
Positive attitudes
Realistic optimism
Recognizing and managing thoughts and emotions
Self-acceptance
“We can develop these qualities within ourselves as well as in relationship to others,” Van Demark says. “For example, humor is a good way to develop self-acceptance. Realistic optimism – not pie in the sky optimism – supports positive thinking but with a realistic view of your challenges.”
How Can I Strengthen my Resilience?
Van Demark compares resilience to a muscle that can be strengthened with exercise. Some of those actions include:
Facing your fears
Aligning your actions to your moral compass
Leaning into your personal religious beliefs and/or spirituality
Learning from resilient role models
Keeping your brain active
Being open intellectually and emotionally
Finding meaning and purpose in your life
Using food as way to control inflammation
Getting vaccinated for COVID-19
Staying on schedule with annual physicals and preventive medical screenings
Learning and practicing stress coping
Evoking your relaxation response regularly (sit in a relaxed position, eyes closed, and repeat a word, sound or prayer as you breathe)
Embracing ongoing physical fitness
“Physical fitness is an absolute cornerstone for building resilience,” notes Van Demark. “We have the capacity to condition ourselves in some way at any age. It’s never too late to begin.”
Resilience Fortifies the Immune System
Scientific studies show that as your stress increases, your immune system function declines. Likewise, physical fitness and other resilience-building actions described by Van Demark can improve immunity.
“There’s a lot of common ground between stress-coping strategies and resilience-building strategies,” Van Demark says. “They serve one another.”
Life Experiences that Deplete Resilience
Now that you know strategies that promote resilience, it’s also important to understand life experiences that can deplete our resilience. These fall into two categories that together form what is called the “Pair of ACEs.”
Adverse childhood experiences – Abuse, neglect, and homelessness, for example.
Adverse community experiences – These may include, for example, poverty, discrimination, and violence.
“Tapping your inner resilience means looking inward,” says Van Demark.
Journaling – writing or drawing – are good ways to look inward, according to Van Demark. She also recommends setting SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results oriented, and Time bounded) as well as WISE goals (Willing to execute, Inspirational, Service oriented, and Experiential).
Build Resilience with Dignity Health, YRMC
YRMC offers many services to support your resilience-building journey. Those include fitness programs like SilverSneakers®, Silver&Fit®, and Renew Active™. Top-of-line exercise equipment, fitness classes with experienced healthcare professionals, and personal training with experts are also available at:
Preventive Medicine and Wellness at the Pendleton Center West in Prescott at (928) 771-5794 or the Pendleton Center East in Prescott Valley at (928) 759-5920
Physical Rehabilitation Services at YRMC (928-771-5131) offers the following resilience-promoting services:
Chronic Pain Self-Care Program
Massage Therapy
Check out YRMC’s Your Healthy Kitchen – an online cooking show and blog – at YRMCHealthConnect.org for healthy cooking demonstrations and delicious recipes.
To learn more about these and other Dignity Health, YRMC services subscribe to YRMC HealthConnect (YRMCHealthConnect.org).
Submitted by Dignity Health, Yavapai Regional Medical Center