The American Psychological Association (APA) defines resilience as “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress — such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors.”
“A key ingredient to resilience is recognizing that what you’ve been through is… significant and recognizing the importance of seeing how it has impacted you and that you’re different than you were prior to the event,” says Kendra Kubala, PsyD, a psychologist working with trauma survivors in Pennsylvania and New York.
You may have some degree of resilience if you exhibit any of the following behaviors:
- You recognize the impermanence of difficulties.
- You see setbacks as opportunities for growth.
- You have tools to manage your stress and emotions.
- You recognize that many things are out of your control.
- You have a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset.
Outside factors such as social and community support may also play an important role in helping people develop or maintain resilience.
What are some examples of resilience at work? Weathering a storm, bouncing back from adversity, seeing off challenges with stoicism and grit—these are brief, metaphorical resilience at work examples.
