Why is resilience important?

When I first started learning about the effects of trauma, the research articles and books I read made it seem like all people exposed to trauma suffer greatly. 

But, as I learned more, I discovered that while many who experience trauma can face adverse effects, the reality is that many people who experience trauma can recover and even thrive in the face of trauma. This process is called resilience.

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Resilience Research

Resilience research began when Norman Garmezy and other researchers began studying children at risk of mental health disorders due to circumstances, such as poverty, and genes, such as having a parent with a mental health problem. Garmzey, in particular, studied children of parents with schizophrenia to see if they would go on to develop it themselves (1)

Garmzey found that some of the children didn’t develop mental health problems despite their risk exposure. He called these children invulnerable (2). Garmzey called for a focus on factors that made invulnerable children different; thus, resilience research was born (Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back by Andrew Zolli and Ann Marie Healy). 

Resilience research is a dynamic field that continues to evolve. The first two waves focused on factors that lead to resilience and what creates those factors. The third wave is now developing interventions to improve resilience. Today, researchers are studying resilience across groups, ensuring that our understanding remains current and relevant.

Definition of Resilience

The word resilience comes from the Latin resilire, meaning to leap back. Many definitions of resilience abound, with many focusing on bouncing back after adversity. 

While there isn’t one agreed-upon definition of resilience, the many definitions tend to fall into one of three categories:

• Healing from trauma
• Bouncing back when facing hassles in life
• Flourishing and thriving, even in the face of adversity

Resilience and Being a Catholic

Resilience is an essential ability for Catholics because these three resilience definitions map onto three crucial themes of Jesus’ ministry. It is not just a psychological concept, but a spiritual one that can help us understand and live out our faith more fully. 

Healing From Trauma

In Luke 4:16-21, at the beginning of His public ministry, Jesus proclaims a prophecy from Isaiah about a special servant of the Lord who will bring about freedom and healing. After His proclamation, Jesus announces that He fulfills the passage. Ultimately, Jesus brings about freedom and healing from sin and its effects through His death and resurrection. 

Therefore, healing is a central part of Jesus’ ministry, as we see in His forgiveness of sins and His healing miracles. Consequently, it is reasonable to think that this aspect of resilience is essential for Catholics and could be one way in which Jesus completes His healing mission in us.

Bouncing Back

Throughout His ministry, Jesus calls His disciples to take up their cross (Luke 9:23), uniting their suffering, big and small, to the cross to bring about redemption. By bouncing back when facing life’s hassles, we can better carry the crosses sent our way. 

Flourishing and Thriving

Finally, Jesus says He came to bring about abundant life (John 10:10). Ultimately, we find this abundant life in Heaven. Still, by living in light of Jesus, we can glimpse this joy and fulfillment now, even if we carry heavy crosses. 

What Helps Increase Resilience?

Numerous factors increase resilience, including: 

• Self-efficacy (4)
• Cognitive flexibility (4)
• Emotion regulation (4)
• Good relationships (5)
• Optimism (5)
• Self-confidence (5)
• Perspective taking (5)
• Having goals and working towards them (5)
• Self-control (6)
• Exercise (7)
• Time outside (7)
• Prayer (7)
• Good sleep (7)
• Problem-solving skills (8)
• Gratitude (9)
• Mindfulness (9)
• Moral compass (10)
• Life purpose (10)
• Compassion (Resilient by Rick Hanson)
• Good diet (Resilient by Rick Hanson)
• Intersection of likes, talents, and values in work (Resilient by Rick Hanson)
• Interpersonal skills (Bouncing Back by Linda Graham)

In the course of my reading, I’ve found that these factors promote the following five building blocks of resilience: 

• Mental health: Living in accordance with the truth in your thinking
• Physical health: Good friendships and taking care of your body
• Spiritual health: Consistent prayer and reception of the sacraments
• Virtue: Living a virtuous life and striving for that
• Vocation: Fully living out your state-in-life vocation, career, and other endeavors the Lord may call you to 

To grow in resilience, we must have consistent habits and practices that promote these five building blocks of resilience. 

Conclusion

Resilience is essential for everyone, but especially for those facing traumatic experiences or working with those you have. I challenge you to take an inventory of how you’re doing in each of those resilience-building areas to see if you need to change your habits, thus enhancing your ability to heal, weather daily hassles, and live God’s abundant life.

Resources to Learn More

Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakeable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness by Rick Hanson covers 12 abilities that build resilience and provides practical exercises to improve each. I recommend picking up a copy to learn more about boosting your resilience.

In Bouncing Back: Rewiring Your Brain for Maximum Resilience and Well-Being, Linda Graham offers practical guidance and exercises to help us rewire our brains and build resilience. I recommend picking up a copy to learn more about these exercises. 

Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back by Andrew Zolli and Ann Marie Healy provides a comprehensive treatment of resilience across individual lives, businesses, and communities. I recommend picking up a copy to learn more about this topic.