By Elle Ryan, Resident in Counseling
The topic of resilience is not an uncommon theme in the counseling office. But what really is resilience and how can we cultivate it for ourselves?
Resilience is the process of successfully adjusting to difficult or challenging experiences by demonstrating mental, emotional and behavioral flexibility (American Psychological Association, 2018). There are a number of factors that contribute to our individual ability to adapt to adversities. The first amongst these are determined by the way we view and engage in our world. Our perspective is our reality in which we navigate life. Our resilience is also dependent on our available resources, their quantity and coping strategies specific to our situational needs.
Although genetic research regarding resiliency continues to be under study, data indicates that early environments and life circumstances play a role in how resilient genes are expressed (Psychology Today, 2025). Ultimately, resilience is heavily reliant on something people can cultivate through learning resilience-building skills. These skills include breaking out of negative thought cycles, challenging catastrophizing thoughts and looking for positives when faced with setbacks.
As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention initiated a campaign called “In This Together: Building Emotional Resilience in Ourselves and Our Communities” (AFSP, 2025). The organization highlights the keys to building emotional resilience,
which are:
* increasing connections with others,
* increasing meaning or purpose in our lives,
* working on thought patterns,
* and practicing general healthy habits
Additional strategies to improve resiliency involve creating self-care routines for sleep, diet, exercise, relationships, engaging in nature, and other dimensions of well-being. Having a support system of loved ones can offer more resources for help and emotional support when in crisis.
References:
https://dictionary.apa.org/resilience
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/resilience
https://afsp.org/building-resilience/
