A common misconception is that resilience is reserved only for those who defy the odds.

However, anyone can practice resilience because everyone faces difficult situations that push our limits and force us to choose whether we will keep moving forward or not.   

In this episode, I address how humans may be resilient by nature. Still, our ability to access this power largely depends on the state of our mental health, which then impacts how we adapt to difficulty. 

When we face trauma or difficult situations, we tend to respond in three ways: 

• Get stuck in the past, ruminate psychologically, and paralyze ourselves 
• Numbing out, seeking safety at all costs even if the perceived safety is harmful
• Choosing to grow, viewing our suffering as an opportunity to learn

In this episode, you’ll also hear:

• Understanding the relationship between mental health and resilience
• 3 responses to trauma: Getting stuck, numbing out, choosing to grow
• Tragic optimism and the ability to search for meaning 

Must-listen moments: 

[00:03:45] Our capacity for resilience is not reserved for superstars. It's for you and for me. 

[00:05:30] We are all naturally resilient, but if a person's mental health is suffering, however, their ability to display resilience will be compromised when facing a tragedy. 

[00:12:33] Resilience is all about the mindset we take toward the struggle. If everything, no matter how awful, is an opportunity to grow, that means I can literally face anything.

Thank you for listening! 

Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don’t Want to Talk About - https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Anxiety-Other-Things-About/dp/1400221323

Ryan Casey Waller

Website - https://www.ryancaseywaller.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ryancaseywaller

Twitter - https://twitter.com/ryancaseywaller

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ryancaseywaller/