Just before I retired from teaching high school, there was a lot of talk about helping students to build resilience. But how do we learn to “hang in” and “bounce back” when life is difficult?
In her TED Talk, Lucy Hone gives three perspectives to build resilience in the face of difficult circumstances.
Accept and expect that uncomfortable, tragic, and painful events happen to everyone. (My comments: This used to be commonly accepted for the generations that grew up during the Depression and the World Wars. But more recent generations, at least in developed countries, have had relative ease and prosperity, with lots of options and choice. This experience makes the restrictions and reductions of the recent pandemic especially hard to face.)
Figure out what is left that you can control, and what you cannot. (My comments: This sounds much like the Serenity Prayer.) Lucy Hone also mentioned the positive power of gratitude.
Ask yourself this question: Is what I am doing now helping me or harmingme? (My comment: There is no prescribed answer for this, but it is wise to examine our habits and reactions in light of this question.)
