How can we build resilience?
When teenagers are resilient, they bounce back and are able to navigate the natural ups and downs of life. With resilience, it becomes possible to respond in a powerful way to whatever challenge is in front of us. It is also the ability to respond to difficult circumstances that you can’t change and keep thriving. Our resilience can go up and down at different times, and there may be some situations that we are more able to deal with.
We need resilience to bounce back from everyday challenges like arguments with friends, disappointing test and assessment results or sporting losses. Of course some of us experience more serious challenges like family breakdown, family illness or death, or bullying. No matter what kind of challenges you may face, resilience is a key quality that can help in responding to whatever we may face.
One of the questions that arises is how can I build resilience in myself and my children?
We can build our resilience through developing our self-esteem, ensuring that we are interacting within our social networks and taking time for ourselves.
Self-respect is a great building block for resilience. If your child has self-respect, he believes that he matters and should be treated respectfully by ohers. He’s also more likely to protect himself by avoiding risky behaviour and situations.
A strong sense of self-respect will also help your child be less vulnerable to bullies and bullying.
Empathy, respect for others, kindness, fairness, honesty and cooperation are also linked to resilience. This includes showing care and concern for people who need support, accepting people’s differences, being friendly, not mistreating or bullying others and taking responsibility for your actions.
If your child shows these attitudes and behaviour towards others, he’s more likely to get a positive response in return. This helps him feel good about himself.
There are a variety of materials on the internet. Here are some links to read further.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/basics/resilience
https://kidshelpline.com.au/teens/issues/building-resilience
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/resilience
https://healthyfamilies.beyondblue.org.au/healthy-homes/building-resilience
Rebecca Jarman (Acting Head of Rice House)