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Building Resilience; Post 1

Kristine Dewar, M.A., R.P., C.C.C.
Aug 4, 2025
2 min read

Resilience is defined as "the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness." It is a psychological quality that allows us to recover from challenges, and in hindsight, to acknowledge those challenges as times of personal growth. How is it that some people seem to be more resilient than others? Although there are contributing factors such as early life experiences and genetics that can't be modified, we can build resilience. Today's post will feature building resilience through mindset; an important element in our ability to be open to change.

  • Objective thinking. There are times when we lean into the "why me's?" when something in our life is challenging us. Although this is a natural response, the trick is in how long we stay there. Being able to look at a situation objectively allows us to take into account all contributing factors, and we are able to accept the situation and move towards managing it.

  • Accepting that we make mistakes. When we have the overall attitude that sometimes we make a mistake and our best way to accept that failure is to learn from it, we are building resilience. Leaning into shame or ascribing to perfectionism can hinder that process.

  • Positive reframing. We all know that life happens - good and bad. Positive reframing allows us to move forward in such a way as to heal from the trauma or the grief. It is the understanding that although it may change us in a way that is permanent, we also retain the ability to manage it.

  • Problem focused thinking. Working through tough emotions that accompany life's challenges is part of the process. When we have the mindset that there are things that we can do to temper those emotions in healthy ways, we ascribe to looking for solutions, albeit temporary or in the context of goal setting.

  • Focus on acceptance. Unfortunately we can't outrun change, sometimes bad things happen to good people, and we can't get through life without some degree of suffering. When we take a deep breath and remind ourselves that "it is what it is," we move towards trying to find what we can control in the situation. Generally, this brings us to an action that will help us process the grief, trauma or loss.

Having a mindset that promotes resilience is possible. We can work on developing this type of a mindset at any time in our lives. Tomorrow's post on resilience will examine well-being and how it can contribute to building resilience. Photo by Pedro Sanz on Unsplash

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Land Acknowledgement

The West Champlain Family Health Team acknowledges it is located upon the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin People and respects the traditional knowledge and healing developed over generations. We have the privilege and responsibility to serve First Nations, Inuit, and Métis of many backgrounds and from many treaty and non-treaty lands and territories, and to demonstrate respect for the contributions and cultures of Indigenous Peoples.

 

Iye West Champlain Family Health Team ogíkikenindánáwá taniziwadj ondaje Algonquin Anishinábe tanakíwin ega ka mígiwewadj iyo kichi Anishinábewakí ashidj odapítenindánáwá kikádjichigewin ashidj mino nódjimowin ka pamíkán pinawígo. Nínawind d’ayánánán shawenimigoziwin ashidj inenindágoziwin kidji wídókáwadag Anishinábeg, Abitawizíg ashidj Kíwedinóg máneg wendjibáwadj ashidj níbina nakondiwin ashidj ega akíng ashidj tanakíwinan ashidj kidji wábandayá apítenindagoziwin ondji ka mígiwewadj ashidj pimádjiwowinan ogo Anishinábeg Pemádizidjig.

 

The West Champlain Family Health Team is grateful to the Indigenous Health Circle (which works in collaboration with The Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn and the Ottawa Valley Ontario Health Team) for sharing a meaningful land acknowledgement both in English and Omámíwininímowin (the Algonquin Anishinábe language), which is the basis of our own.

© 2023 by West Champlain FHT

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