Resilience is the quality that helps people to recover from life’s setbacks. Some people bounce back from a job loss, a divorce, or a grave illness more readily than others, mostly because they are more resilient.

Some people are apparently naturally more resilient than others. However, the good news about psychological resiliency is that it can be cultivated. Communities can take steps to produce more psychologically resilient children, and adults can cultivate mental toughness in themselves. Personal resilience is not completely understood, but these are some techniques that may well increase someone’s personal resilience.

Exercise

Regular exercise, especially of the rhythmic and repetitious sort, can promote tranquility. Walking, especially in nature, swimming, or even dancing, causes the body to release feel-good chemicals, endorphins, which reward steady exercisers with a more positive outlook. By relieving stress and promoting good outlook, exercisers are increasing their resiliency.

Essay writing

Writing about bad experiences can promote resiliency too. Try writing a short piece about a past difficulty or a present dilemma. Don’t just write about the way you feel though. Write about what you think about the incident too. You know more now than you did at the time, and can probably evaluate the incident more clearly.

Social reinforcement

Friendships, family ties, even living in a neighborhood you’re fond of can contribute to resilience too. Having a person you can turn too, not necessarily to talk about your troubles, but just to be with, can make a terrific difference. Such a person can help you be kind to yourself when you’re unhappy.

Other ways to become more resilient

Religion is not merely a coping strategy, but it works well as one. The comforts of religion are enormous for believers, and sometimes a spiritual path is a way to emotional growth.

For those who are not religious, or who are uninterested in organized religion, many social groups can offer similar benefits. The various twelve-step groups are well-known. Rational recovery is a similar group that omits references to any kind of higher power.

Cultivating a useful skill can help too. The understanding and skills someone develops in a particular field often take him out of himself, and into a place where personal difficulties are temporarily forgotten. Learning to give yourself a mental vacation this way can be an effective way to build resilience.

Exercise, writing, and social reinforcement are all effective ways to build resilience. Having someone to talk to is helpful too. Best of all, perhaps, is finding a life interest that lets you exercise a practiced skill, for pure pleasure, for the benefit of others, but most of all for yourself.