The Four Types Of Resilience

The Four Types Of Resilience

Most people make the mistake of thinking that there is only one kind of resilience but this is not the case. There are actually four different types of resilience that you need to be aware of. By understanding these different types, you can assess how well you are doing for each of them and then take action to improve any weaknesses you identify.

1. Physical Resilience

As you have probably guessed, physical resilience is your ability to keep going using your physical body. Your physical fitness levels are more important for your overall resilience than you probably imagined.

If you are not in good physical shape then there is a good chance that you will lack the energy required to tackle a big setback and bounce back. You will not have the level of health required to see out the toughest times.

A good example of physical resilience is someone that has lost the use of their legs due to an accident. The medical experts say that they can fight this with physiotherapy and there is a very good chance that they will walk again. Not doing this will mean that the person has to spend the rest of their life in a wheelchair.

If the person has strong physical resilience then they will learn to walk all over again and fight through the pain. When you play your favorite sport, do you sometimes lack the stamina to carry on? Runners sometimes face this problem but carry on regardless because they have high physical resilience.

2. Mental Resilience

If you are good at solving problems then you probably have a high level of mental resilience. To increase your mental resilience you can take up a challenging hobby such as playing an intellectual game like chess or completing difficult puzzles.

It requires flexible thinking to develop mental resilience. You need to think about the different perspectives that could apply to a situation. Having more potential solutions to a problem is always a good thing.

People that have a low level of mental resilience will give up on things a lot more easily. Let’s assume that you are learning a new skill and there is something that you don’t understand. If you persevere until you find the answer you need, you have good mental resilience.

Emotional Resilience

It is always desirable to have a high level of emotional resilience. The ability to control your emotions when facing adversity is very important. You do not want the situation to overwhelm you or make you angry, as both of these emotions will make it harder for you to resolve the issue and move forward.

People with good emotional resilience tend to have good empathy skills. It is easier for them to stand in another person’s shoes and see things from their perspective. They will also want to tackle problems head on.

4. Social Resilience

We always come into contact with other people throughout our lives. The way that you connect with others determines your social resilience. Think about the different ways that you interact with people at your office compared with close friends and family.

To build your social resilience requires you to develop respect for other people and have a high degree of tolerance. You will also need to be able to build trust with them. So check your people skills to see if you need to improve your social resilience.