Why Self Awareness is Key to Resilience by Cindy Stradling CSP, CPC

It is tempting to assume that people who are highly resilient are born that way. However, most people who are resilient have developed the skill over time. This means that resilience is something that anyone can master, given time and attention.

One of the most important keys to resilience is self-awareness. Learning more about yourself, and how you respond to life’s curveballs can really help you to develop the resilience that will help you meet your goals. This self awareness really boils down to answer three key questions about your own personality.

1. What brings you down? Stress comes to everyone. However, for most of us, certain stressors are more debilitating than others. For example, your children may be able to place a guilt trip on you that no one else can match. Understanding which stressors in life really have the ability to make a dent in your attitude and bring you down is critical. When you know which events are likely to affect you most, you can prepare for them and plan your response ahead of time.

2. What lifts you up? It is equally important to understand what picks you up when you are down. For example, some people gain energy and perspective by being around other people, while others recharge with solitude. Knowing exactly what steps you should take to bounce back will help you to do so more quickly and with less time lost to a negative outlook.

3. What drives you? It is also critical to have a constant reminder of why you’re pursuing your goals. Maybe you are working for financial independence, or maybe you’re working toward making a tangible contribution to your community. Whatever your reasons, it’s important to have these close at hand at all times. When obstacles get in your way, you’ll recover much more quickly when you can quickly and easily remember why you started on this journey in the first place.

Resilience is critical, but it is something everyone can achieve with the right focus and tools. Understanding the answers to these three key questions can help you to bounce back from whatever life throws in your direction.