Stress resilience is the ability of an individual to cope with anxiety and tension. It is an attribute that helps the affected individual bounce back to a previous state of functioning following a major event in their life. The term may also refer to improved functioning after experiencing some difficulties. This is commonly known as post-traumatic growth. It is important to understand this phenomenon as a process that takes time to develop rather than a personal trait.
Naturally, most of us will react negatively to trauma, threats or adversity. Through the dynamic process of resilience, affected persons learn to drop negative behaviours and adopt a positive approach to things. This may be made possible through psychological treatments such as cognitive behaviour therapy. In the psychological therapies patients are encouraged to maintain a high self-esteem that will help them tackle their challenges. Social support especially from the immediate family is also very important.
Several factors have been shown to make it easy for people to develop this ability. Persons that have close relationships with families and friends find it easier than those who do not. Those who are always optimistic are also more likely to recover from events that could potentially cause depression. Other important factors include willingness to seek help, good communication skills and a winning mentality.
Religion has been established to important factor in dealing with life challenges and raising the self-esteem of affected persons. Research shows that youths that join the church tend to have an improvement in their academic performance. This improvement is attributable to the mere attendance of church and the interaction with the religious community rather than doctrine. The church is believed to have a great influence on emotional, social and physical health.
Resilience is measured in an objective manner using what is called the resiliency quotient. In this quotient a number of different life aspects are assessed to determine the quality of life. Some of the areas that are included in the assessment include dietary habits, sleeping patterns and presence or absence of social support structures. Other areas of importance include the level of income and the amount of income raised. All these compared to a certain standard.
After the resiliency quotient has been determined, the affected person can be advised appropriately. Typically, the quotient is given a numerical value that is in turn allocated a percentile with respect to the general population. Persons that score highly are regarded as being normal while those that are given low scores require some form of assistance. Both medical and psychological support may be required for the serious cases.
There are many systems that are affected by stress. The systems that are commonly affected include the musculoskeletal system where joint and muscle pains are commonly experienced, the parasympathetic system and the sympathetic system. Other systems include cognitive system where there may be abnormalities in memory, decision making, judgement and learning, the immune system and the emotional system. Treatment is therefore geared at resolving all these problems.
Stress resilience requires that one plays an active role in overcoming difficulties. One needs to challenge themselves to look at this from a positive perspective regardless of how difficult the situation is. This has to be something that is done on a daily basis. The importance of family support in this process cannot be overemphasised.
Naturally, most of us will react negatively to trauma, threats or adversity. Through the dynamic process of resilience, affected persons learn to drop negative behaviours and adopt a positive approach to things. This may be made possible through psychological treatments such as cognitive behaviour therapy. In the psychological therapies patients are encouraged to maintain a high self-esteem that will help them tackle their challenges. Social support especially from the immediate family is also very important.
Several factors have been shown to make it easy for people to develop this ability. Persons that have close relationships with families and friends find it easier than those who do not. Those who are always optimistic are also more likely to recover from events that could potentially cause depression. Other important factors include willingness to seek help, good communication skills and a winning mentality.
Religion has been established to important factor in dealing with life challenges and raising the self-esteem of affected persons. Research shows that youths that join the church tend to have an improvement in their academic performance. This improvement is attributable to the mere attendance of church and the interaction with the religious community rather than doctrine. The church is believed to have a great influence on emotional, social and physical health.
Resilience is measured in an objective manner using what is called the resiliency quotient. In this quotient a number of different life aspects are assessed to determine the quality of life. Some of the areas that are included in the assessment include dietary habits, sleeping patterns and presence or absence of social support structures. Other areas of importance include the level of income and the amount of income raised. All these compared to a certain standard.
After the resiliency quotient has been determined, the affected person can be advised appropriately. Typically, the quotient is given a numerical value that is in turn allocated a percentile with respect to the general population. Persons that score highly are regarded as being normal while those that are given low scores require some form of assistance. Both medical and psychological support may be required for the serious cases.
There are many systems that are affected by stress. The systems that are commonly affected include the musculoskeletal system where joint and muscle pains are commonly experienced, the parasympathetic system and the sympathetic system. Other systems include cognitive system where there may be abnormalities in memory, decision making, judgement and learning, the immune system and the emotional system. Treatment is therefore geared at resolving all these problems.
Stress resilience requires that one plays an active role in overcoming difficulties. One needs to challenge themselves to look at this from a positive perspective regardless of how difficult the situation is. This has to be something that is done on a daily basis. The importance of family support in this process cannot be overemphasised.
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