Psychological resilience
Strengthening resilience: 15 questions that help us survive crises better
Resilience – i.e. psychological resistance – helps us to overcome crises well.
© Jay Yuno/Getty Images
How well we get through crises essentially depends on our resilience, i.e. our psychological resistance. A trait that, fortunately, can be learned. For example, with targeted self-reflection.
Crises. Crises everywhere. The feeling of being in the middle of a time of crisis is currently affecting many people. And for good reason, because Inflation, war, climate and energy crises are just a few examples of the many challenges of our time. And those are just the social aspects. Often there are also the private and professional worries and hurdles of each individual. Yes, it’s not easy for us.
But how do you treat yourself with respect during a difficult time? The key to dealing with crises healthily is resilience. Our psychological resilience has a significant impact on whether we despair or grow in times of crisis. Resilience is based on a total of seven pillars: optimism, acceptance, solution orientation, responsibility, network orientation and future planning.
In every difficult phase of our lives, we have the choice to let every single pillar of it grow – or to bury our heads in the sand and wait for the storm to blow over us. But the good thing about resilience is that with every crisis we overcome, we are better prepared for the next one. And because life doesn’t go in a straight line, the next crisis, big or small, will almost certainly come knocking at some point.
If that happens again, many people will initially feel helpless and overwhelmed. Targeted self-reflection helps you remember your resilience and overcome the crisis better. The following 15 questions can be a starting point in your search for how to deal well with crises.
Resilience: 15 questions to help you survive crises better
- What crises have I already overcome in my life?
- Which qualities helped me to overcome the crises?
- What have I learned from the crises of my life?
- What is the worst that can happen to me in this situation?
- How realistic is this scenario?
- Which people can I always rely on?
- How can friends and family support me in crisis?
- What and who am I grateful for in my life? And why?
- What do I really need right now to get through the crisis?
- How much can I actively change my current situation?
- What’s stopping me from finally solving the problem?
- What feelings concern me about the crisis?
- What do my feelings want to tell me?
- What gives me courage even now?
- What am I particularly looking forward to in the near future?
By the way: If you don’t have an answer to the questions right away, that’s absolutely no problem. Some questions take time to take effect. It is important to take your time to actually find answers that will help you.
Also read:
New beginnings: Why we should dare to take new paths more often
Psychohygiene: These ten habits are balm for the soul
Psychological safety: This is how companies strengthen the mental health of their employees