A Resilient Person
When we consider resilience, we recall that there is some sort of natural baseline resilience we each come into the world with, and then we can build our resilience in addition to that baseline. This concept is fleshed out further in the research, as are the markers of a resilient person. We can dig into these categories and markers of resilience to identify the ways in which we can build our own resilience, adding more tools to our toolbox.
Genie Joseph, M.A. adjunct professor at Chaminade University in Hawaii, outlined three different types of resilience:
Natural Resilience: that inherent baseline we’ve discussed—the natural amount of resilience we come into this world with. (Children tend to have a lot of this!)
Adaptive Resilience: the resilience we build through hardship, the resilience that comes from getting back up after we’ve been knocked down. We can increase resilience merely through the act of resilience.
Restored Resilience: also called “learned resilience.” This doesn’t necessarily need to be formed through hardship, but instead, can be cultivated through specific tools and practices to “restore” us to our child-like state of resilience.
When we experience stress and trauma, this reduces our natural resilience (especially if we get knocked down and stay down). We don’t necessarily need an even amount of each of these categories. It’s not the intent to be evenly distributed across natural, adaptive, and restored resilience, but when we’re lacking in one area, we can use others to compensate.
And through the research, we also know some specific markers and characteristics of a resilient person. Researchers Conner and Davidson outlined these markers as high indicators of resilience:
Viewing change as a challenge or opportunity
Commitment
Recognition of limits to control
Engaging the support of others
Close, secure attachment to others
Personal or collective goals
Self-efficacy
Strengthening effect of stress
Past successes
Realistic sense of control/having choices
Sense of humor
Action-oriented approach
Patience
Tolerance of negative affect
Adaptability to change
Optimism
Faith
