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FACTORS AFFECTING RESILIENCE
Some people have suggested that the concept of resilience is best thought of as a contained wobble.
It comprises many factors including:
- Hardiness
- Enhanced emotional insight
- The ability to learn and reflect
- Coping strategies
- Maintenance of positive emotions, including laughter and a sense of optimism
- Regulation of negative emotions
- Nurturing relationships and networks- both personal and professional
- An effective work-life balance
- Flexibility
- Self-confidence
- Resourcefulness
- Curiosity
Personality factors associated with resilience
Eley and colleagues (2013) report four personality traits that most strongly correlate with resilience:
- Self-directedness – people with this quality tend to accept responsibility for their mistakes, learn from them, and move on
- Cooperativeness – people who are tolerant and able to accept a range of behaviours viewpoints tend to feel less frustrated and this reduces a potential source of stress
- Harm avoidance – people who are decisive and less anxious can more easily accept uncertainty and risk and are more confident in making decisions
- Persistence – people who have stamina can persevere with a task, set realistic goals, accept their mistakes and learn from them.
How do the items on the list above compare with those on your list from the earlier exercise?
You may be interested to read an article by Professor Amanda Howe on Doctors’ Health and Wellbeing: http://careers.bmj.com/careers/advice/view-article.html?id=20014522
This article offers a summary of why doctors are at risk of resilience-related issues and methods and interventions for improving wellbeing. If you are not a doctor, you might still like to consider which aspects of this article are relevant and resonate with you.