Authenticity, Resilience and Humility
– Part 02, Resilience

Caught red-footed

In 1982, Manuela, the red-footed tortoise from Brazil went missing. The loss of his pet tortoise devastated eight-year-old Leandro Almeida. The Almeida family believed that Manuela had escaped their home. Possibly when workers left the door open during renovations.

In 2013, 30 years later, the family were cleaning out a room used for storage. They were doing some renovations after Leandro’s father had recently passed away. They were about to throw out a box with an old record player in it. One of their workmen said jokingly, “Are you going to throw out this tortoise as well?”

The tortoise was Manuela.

Survivor

Red-footed tortoises have survived forest fires and other environmental catastrophes. Like Manuela, their instinct is to burrow and hide. Floodwaters have sometimes swept red-footed tortoises away, and they washed ashore much later. Their slow metabolism helps them conserve energy. They can also extract moisture from the food they consume.

Red-footed tortoises can adapt to less-than-ideal conditions. They can slow down their metabolism and go into a sort of “hibernation” state. They can endure long periods with minimal food and harsh conditions.

Manuela could have lived off of termites and other insects. That was the speculation, as well as getting moisture from condensation.

She survived. That’s resilience.

Resilience is so ‘hot’ right now

I’m noticing a growing focus on resilience. There are three different lectures advertised here, including one at the local university. Resilience is a current topic.

There are some possible reasons for this.

COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to affect individuals, businesses and economies. It’s exposed vulnerabilities in global systems, supply chains, healthcare, and mental health. We’re more conscious of emotional, psychological, and financial resilience to navigate uncertainty.

The usual, plus some new

There have always been global economic challenges, inflation and changing technologies. Remote work, gig economy jobs and automation. Along with these; AI, and new cybersecurity risks. There are changes in governments, geopolitical instability, shifts in power and wars. There is migration and also displacement of people.

Climate

There is ongoing, widespread discussion and debate surrounding the environment. Floods, wildfires and hurricanes are being viewed through the lens of climate change. Governments, businesses, and individuals are trying to mitigate the impacts. Their efforts can be inconsistent and not always effective.

We’re talking about it more

Resilience is one of those concepts that we seem to be talking more about. We’re all more connected and we’re exploring. It’s popping up in leadership training. Companies are emphasising resilience training for employees to foster well-being and maintain productivity. It’s become a core concept of personal development and a way to live a more fulfilling life.

Part 02 – Resilience

In the Merriam Webster Dictionary online, the first two definitions of resilience are:

1. The capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress.
2. An ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.

The resilience effect

Resilience plays a crucial role in shaping how we navigate challenges. How we thrive in our personal and professional lives. Manuela the tortoise demonstrated several aspects of resilience. Humans have some others that can be helpful.

• Adaptability: Manuela adapted to her environment. We can also show resilience by adapting to adverse conditions.
• Endurance: Manuela survived for decades despite the conditions. We can face hardship and show perseverance when faced with challenges.
• Conservation: We don’t have the capacity of Manuela. We can however, learn how to conserve energy and resources. For ourselves and others.
• Patience and Survival: Manuela survived with minimal food through her survival instinct. We can stay calm, be patient, cultivate opportunities, and rely on our instincts to survive.
• Toughness: We can often take more adversity than we realise. Sometimes enduring pain, stress, or emotional difficulties over extended periods.
• Resourcefulness: Manuela managed to find resources in a tough environment. We can use our creativity and problem-solving to navigate difficult situations.

As humans we have some other aspects to our resilience. We can call on these to add a little extra into the tank.

• Emotional Resilience: We can manage emotions during adversity, such as grief, fear, or loneliness. This involves processing emotions and continuing to function in difficult times. We navigate both physical and emotional challenges.
• Flexibility:We can make plans, and adjust our strategies based on changing circumstances. We can reflect on our experiences and learn from them. We can grow.
• Social Support and Collaboration:We can seek and offer support. Relationships with family, friends, and communities are important. This can provide emotional support, practical help and guidance during tough times.
• Hope and Optimism: We can draw strength from hope and optimism. We can envision solving our problems, even in dark moments. A positive mindset can fuel perseverance and motivate us to overcome challenges.
• Ethics: We can rely on values, principles, and ethics to guide our decisions. We can endure sometimes because of a sense of duty, love for others, or commitment to a cause.
• Creativity and Innovation: We can invent new ways to solve problems. We can innovate tools, solutions, or systems to adapt to challenging environments.
• Goals: We have goals and vision. We can think of the places we want to be.
• Your Story: We can build narrative and derive meaning from our experiences. When faced with challenges, we use storytelling and reflection to make sense of them.

This is a powerful toolkit to work with to develop a hard resilient shell.

What are the benefits?

• Well-Being: Resilience helps you manage stress, anxiety, and emotional upheaval. You can bounce back from setbacks and maintain a more positive outlook. This may reduce the risk of depression.
• Problem-Solving: When you’re resilient, you’re better equipped to handle unexpected problems. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, you may approach challenges with a solutions-oriented mindset. You’ve got your “Yes” on.
• Enhanced Relationships: Resilience fosters stronger relationships, helping you navigate conflicts and difficult conversations. You can maintain empathy, patience, and composure.
• Productivity: Resilience boosts productivity by helping you stay focused, motivated, and engaged. Especially when facing pressure or setbacks. It encourages goal oriented behaviour.
• Faster Recovery: You may recover more rapidly from failures, losses, or disappointments. You may regain or maintain your sense of purpose and direction.
• Less Stress: Stress is bad for your health. Resilience may help you have less of it.
• Growth: Resilience encourages learning from adversity. Focus on continuous gradual improvement. You can get new skills and insights from challenging experiences.

The resilience battery

Another friend said they felt that resilience was like a phone battery. They felt it gets weaker over time from charging. I suppose that is true if you’re expected to be resilient without proper recovery.

Resilience though isn’t something that gets weaker over time with repeated use. Resilience can grow stronger through repeated exposure to challenges. Building recovery and self-care into the process is key. That way it’s more like a muscle.

When you experience adversity, you can learn from it. You can develop new coping mechanisms, and become more resilient. We need time for rest, recovery, and self-care to maintain our resilience. If you take time to “recharge” your resilience can improve.

There is a reason for this.

Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to reorganise itself. It can form new neural connections. This allows us to adapt to new challenges. We can learn new behaviours, and develop coping strategies.

• A study: “Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain grey matter density” Hölzel, B. K., et al. (2011) demonstrates how mindfulness can lead to structural brain changes. This enhances emotional regulation and resilience.

• Another Study: “In pursuit of resilience: stress, epigenetics, and brain plasticity” examines how the brain adapts to stress through neuroplasticity. It highlights that mindfulness can enhance resilience by promoting positive brain changes.

Post-traumatic growth

Post-traumatic growth (PTG) shows that we can become more resilient after experiencing adversity.

• A study: “Post traumatic Growth: Conceptual Foundations and Empirical Evidence”, Tedeschi, R.G. & Calhoun, L.G. (2004), explores how individuals can experience positive psychological changes after adversity, strengthening resilience.

Other recharges

Other factors have a relationship to improving or recharging resilience. These are strong social support, therapy, physical fitness and resilience training.

• Study: “Social Support and Resilience to Stress”
• Study: “Effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy on resilience of adults”
• Study: “The efficacy of resilience training programs: a systematic review protocol”

Study: “Biological mechanisms underlying the role of physical fitness in health and resilience”

Measuring Resilience

• Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC): Measures personal resilience. It focuses on adaptability, personal competence, and the ability to cope with stress.
• Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA): Focuses on internal and external protective factors. These are personal strengths, social support, and family cohesion.
• Brief Resilience Scale (BRS): Measures the ability to bounce back from stress or adversity.
• ISO 22316:2017: Is the international standard for organisational resilience. It provides guidance to enhance organisational resilience. This may be any size or type of organisation.

Should you have resilience?

Unlike authenticity, this one is a bit clearer. You definitely need a toolkit to deal with challenges in life. Though here are some reasons to back that up.

Rejection

Sarah Blakely, the founder of Spanx, faced many rejections from potential investors. She worked in door-to-door sales, and funded her own prototypes. Her ability to bounce back from repeated failures and adapt; led to her success. as one of the youngest self-made billionaires. She’s often cited as an example of resilience.

Education

A study “Students Resilience: The Impact of Online Learning Policies During The Covid-19 Pandemic on Academic Stress” explores how academic stress during the Covid-19 pandemic’s online learning policies affected student resilience. It emphasises that strong self-management and support networks are key to mitigating stress.

Career

A study: “Employee resilience: An evidence review” from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) says that “Resilience helps employees adapt, cope, gain resources, and respond positively to stressors in the workplace.” You are able to learn, adapt and pivot when you have to.

Organisations and resilient leaders

Companies led by individuals who can adapt quickly to change are more successful at pivoting during crises. These leaders focus on communication, innovation, and learning, allowing their teams to bounce back faster.

• Deloitte’s Global Resilience Report highlights that resilient leadership is essential for navigating crises. “Leaders who focus on adaptability, communication, and innovation help their organisations anticipate, respond to, and thrive amidst disruptions.”
• In “Raising the Resilience of your Organisation” McKinsey and Company say “Repeatedly rebounding from disruption is tough, but some companies have a recipe for success: a systems mindset emphasizing agility, psychological safety, adaptable leadership, and cohesive culture.”
• This article from Deloitte “Moving toward true organizational resilience” argues that businesses must evolve their approach. Moving from traditional defensive strategies to a more proactive, holistic model. It emphasises the importance of resilience across five pillars. These are, people, reputation, operations, finances, and the environment.
• Google’s “Search Inside Yourself” programs focus on developing emotional intelligence and resilience.

Mental Health

Resilience helps you “keep it together”. Resilience can be a defence mechanism. It may enable you to thrive in the face of adversity. Improving resilience may be an important target for mental health.

• A study in Clinical Psychology Review, “Resilience and mental health” Dmitry M. Davydov, Robert Stewart, Karen Ritchie, Isabelle Chaudieu, highlights the lack of a unified theoretical framework for resilience in mental health research. It proposes a multi-level biopsychosocial model to integrate existing knowledge.

Developing Resilience

Developing resilience involves building skills and adopting habits. This helps you adapt and bounce back from adversity.

Build Strong Relationships

• Social support: from friends, family, and colleagues is crucial for resilience. Developing and maintaining strong, positive relationships provides emotional support during tough times.

Develop a Growth Mindset

• Challenges: Viewing challenges as opportunities for growth rather than insurmountable obstacles enhances resilience. A growth mindset encourages learning from failure and adapting to change.

Practice Mindfulness and Emotional Regulation

• Mindfulness: Mindfulness and meditation practices improve emotional regulation and stress management. They help individuals stay grounded and less reactive to adversity.

Enhance Problem-Solving Skills

• Problem-solving: Developing problem-solving skills helps individuals tackle challenges. It improves your ability to cope with difficulties. Planning ahead and focusing on solutions, rather than the problem itself, enhances resilience.

Maintain Physical Well-being

• Physical: health is resilience. Regular exercise, good sleep habits, and a healthy diet. This can boost emotional and mental resilience by reducing the effects of stress on the body.

Cultivate Optimism and Positive Thinking

• Outlook: Resilient people often maintain a positive outlook even in tough situations. Practising optimism, gratitude, and focusing on what you can control helps build resilience.

Develop Self-Efficacy

• Self-efficacy: Believing in your ability to influence outcomes builds resilience. This sense of personal competence, known as self-efficacy. It allows you to take action in difficult situations.

Adapt to Change and Be Flexible

• Flexible: Resilient individuals are able to adapt and stay flexible in the face of change. Cultivating adaptability is a critical part of resilience.

Establish Clear Goals

• Goals: Setting realistic, achievable goals helps you maintain focus and purpose during challenging times. Breaking larger tasks into smaller steps creates momentum and a sense of accomplishment.

Learn from Setbacks

• Learning: Resilient people view failures and setbacks as learning opportunities. Taking time to reflect on challenges and applying those lessons can strengthen resilience.

Foster Emotional Intelligence

• EQ: Develop emotional intelligence (EQ). It’s the ability to recognise and manage your emotions. It’s the ability to understand and influence others’ emotions. High EQ helps navigate social complexities and manage stress.

Find Meaning and Purpose

• Purpose: Have a clear sense of purpose or meaning in life. Through work, relationships, or personal passions. This can provide motivation to overcome adversity.

Use Humour

• Humour: Laughter and humour can reduce stress and build resilience. Find humour, even in difficult situations. It helps to maintain a positive outlook and provides relief from tension.

Practice Gratitude

• Gratitude: Practise gratitude by focusing on the positive aspects of life. This can improve mental well-being and resilience. It helps shift focus from what’s going wrong to what’s going right.

Resilience

With resilience, slow and steady might win the race. Building resilience muscles with a strong framework takes time. Unlike authenticity, resilience is personal.

Others may perceive you as resilient, but your inner experience is what matters. Are you resilient? It’s a toolkit. Some parts you already have, while you’re still developing others.

Hopefully resilience will help you come out of your shell more often.

Here is the previous part “Introduction and Authenticity“