Resilience

(WTNH) -- Author Steven M. Southwick, MD talks about resilience factors to overcome adversity, survive trauma, and manage stress.

Dr. Southwick's book, "Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life's Greatest Challenges," was recently published.

The book discusses the ability to cope with and adapt well to stress and adversity, as well as the ability to bounce back from hardship.

Resilience is not necessarily an inborn trait; it can be learned. Dr. Southwick explains that we can build and strengthen our resilience based on what he and his colleague have discovered from their own research in neuroscience and their interviews with hundreds of stress-resilient individuals.

They have identified 10 resilience factors – skills that every trauma survivor they interviewed used to beat the odds and flourish.

10 resilience factors to overcome adversity, survive trauma, and manage stress:
• Maintain an optimistic but realistic outlook
• Confront your fears
• Rely upon your own inner moral compass
• Draw on faith, religion, and spirituality
• Seek and accept social support—and give of yourself
• Identify and imitate sturdy role models
• Commit to good health and train to be physically fit
• Challenge and develop your mind to stay mentally sharp
• Show flexibility in response to crises and learn to problem-solve
• Find meaning and purpose in your life and opportunities for growth

Dr. Southwick says we can all develop our resilience by learning these skills.

Enhancing resilience can improve decision-making and performance during high stress situations, improve overall health, and help to prevent stress-related physical and mental illnesses.