Over the past several weeks' blogs, I have detailed many different ways that stress has a negative impact on the body. While I could probably go on for another few months (and I may add more in the future), I think it's time to skip to the end of the book, and see what we can do to help offset these effects. But, instead of the last page, let's just start the last chapter and look at the differences we see in people who are resilient compared to those who are vulnerable to the effects of stress.
Some of the best resiliency research compares average front line soldiers to those in special forces. More and more, we are seeing soldiers coming home with serious physical and emotional problems due to the stress of being in war. While we would think those that are in the highest stress situations (special forces) would have the worst problems, we in fact see the opposite. The worst symptoms show in the average line troops who may or may not see much action. Why is this? What's the difference between Rangers, SEALs, Delta, Green Beret, and Force Recon compared to the average Joe? What the research found gives us some insight into why some are resilient and others show susceptibility. Here are traits of those who are more resilient.
Good intellectual functioning. This is not to say those who are resilient are any smarter than those who aren't. In fact, the opposite may well be true. What this says, is that to be resilient, we need to use our brains effectively. We need to think through problems and not just react to situations. Keeping the brain active and working well helps to increase resiliency.
Effective regulation of emotions and attachment behaviors. To be more resilient, you must keep your emotions from ruling your life. Working to keep an even keel, and not swinging back and forth emotionally, leads to less stress response, and increased resiliency. Also, being able to keep an emotional distance is important. If you watch the news and see an item that is very disturbing, letting that gnaw at you when you cannot have any impact on it will just lead to more stress. Keeping an objectiveness in things you can't control is a trait that is good to develop.
Positive self concept. This comes down to respecting yourself and knowing you can do what you have to when it's necessary. Self image and self esteem combine into your self concept. There are many things you can do to improve your self concept, including recognizing your strengths, accentuating the positive in yourself, improving your attitude, and being around others who support your positivity. On the flip side, you can easily develop a negative self concept by putting yourself down, having a bad attitude, and spending time with those who enjoy degrading you.
Optimism. Those who have more resiliency are more optimistic than those who are vulnerable. Does this mean you blindly always expect only the best to happen? Doubtful. Does it mean you generally expect that more good things will happen than bad? Probably.
Altruism. If you want to develop resiliency, altruism needs to be a priority. Thinking of others before yourself, and acting on that, goes a long way to preventing stress from negatively affecting your body. Unfortunately, from my experience in today's world, altruism seems to be drying up. More and more it seems we are putting ourselves first and thinking we are more important than we truly are. I believe part of the benefit of altruism is the happiness and joy we feel when those we help do well.
A capacity to convert traumatic helplessness into learned helpfulness. We've all been in situations where we are totally helpless to either prevent something from happening or in making something come true. We are frustrated in our woeful inadequacy and inability to change outcomes. Those who are resilient learn from these situations, and when confronted with similar situations in the future, are better able to cope with it, or possibly change it before it happens. It is important to apply what we've learned so we don't repeat the same mistakes.
Active coping style when confronted with a stressor. When you are hit with a stressor, do you sit there and do nothing, allowing it to overwhelm you, or do you do something. It may not even be doing something about the situation, but do you DO something? Being active in the face of stress is important, and helps our bodies reset the response much more quickly.
Ability to bond with a group with a common mission. Whether it's work, a community organization, church, a book club, or just a group hanging out together, do you spend time with others who share a common goal and mission? We are social animals, and need to be with others who have similar goals and interests. Being on our own for very long itself is a stressor. Seek out others who you can bond with through common interests and goals.
Capacity to tolerate high levels of fear and still perform effectively. Courage is not the absence of fear, just ask any soldier returning from duty overseas. Courage is the ability to realize you may be terrified, but you still have to suck it up and get the job done. Being frozen with fear is a terrible situation for the body and mind to be in, and we need to do whatever we can to push on and continue to function. To begin with, we may need to rely on others' altruism to help us out, but eventually, we'll develop the strength to make it.
When you look at these traits, each and every one can be worked upon to improve in our lives. Taking one and focusing on it for a week at a time can significantly improve the response your body will have to stressors, and can take you from a position of vulnerability to one of resilience. Regardless of where you are now, you can always improve on these traits, transforming yourself from an average Joe to an elite, special ops stress beating commando. Choose to improve your resiliency, your health and your life depend on it.
Look for future blogs that will give more information and insights into improving your health with natural health care. You can also visit my website, like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, or listen to my radio show.
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