The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines individual emotional resilience as having the ability to withstand, adapt to, and recover from adversity. (2015). Being resilient does not mean that a person doesn’t experience difficulty or distress. Emotional pain and sadness are common in people who have suffered major adversity or trauma in their lives.
In fact, the road to resilience is likely to involve considerable emotional distress. (APA.2019). However, research has shown that resilience is ordinary, not extraordinary; it is not a trait that people either have or do not have. It involves behaviors, thoughts, and actions that can be learned and developed in anyone.
This current health crisis is affecting everywhere, and here are some suggestions for how to get through this difficult time.