Types of Resilience

We all know that person…the one who has been knocked down in life over-and-over and yet they continue to get back up and move forward. We call this type of person resilient, as they have the ability to bounce back from every setback and obstacle that is thrown their way. I would like to think that I emulate those characteristics as they are so appealing to me. However, it is not always easy to recover from a hurdle. When I work with my patients, I notice that most of them have traces of resilience in them, but they either do not know how to tap into it or never knew they had it. Allowing them the opportunity to unveil this inner strength can make all the difference in improving their mental health. I wanted to share some different types of resilience in hopes that each of you can connect with some of the characteristics in order to find your own inner strength!

1. Relational Resilience: This person does not give up because they know that others depend on them. This can be a parent, an adult child, an employer, etc. They gain strength and emotional support from their relationships with other people.

2. Street Resilience: This person does not give up because the pain and disrespect from society allows them to propel forward in productivity. For example, with all the school shootings that have been happening, someone with street resilience would be at the forefront of creating more safety procedures for schools and universities. Instead of letting their emotions get the best of them, they use that energy to make positive change around them.

3. Resource Resilience: This person does not give up because they realize the resources that they have around them, and they tap into them. This person will utilize their talents, frame of mind, work ethic and financial resources in order to maintain the strength to overcome. They also realize that they have talents that have not be uncovered, and are more willing to see where their strengths lie.

4. Rock Bottom Resilience: This person does not give up because reaching the lowest point in their journey allows them the perspective to flip the switch and improve. Some people have to reach the bottom in order to gain hope in knowing that things cannot get any worse. This type of person is hopeful in knowing that their future does not have to look like their past. They are also willing to dig deep into options that they never utilized given their difficult circumstances. 

Resilience is a wonderful characteristic to have, and I hope this blog sheds some light to your personal strength that gets you through difficult times.

Continuing to break the stigma,

Elise Banks
Miss International 2015