Resilience framework
Mental wellbeing
Mental wellbeing is all about feeling good and functioning well. We all have mental health and can do simple things to look after it. Did you know that around 40% of our mental wellbeing is down to the choices that we make and the actions we take?
We all face difficulties at some time in our lives, whether this is from learning a new skill, facing a new situation, dealing with conflict, or experiencing a loss or disappointment. However, some people have more than their fair share of challenges, whether that is through disability, bullying, abuse, poverty, or tragic circumstances.
Resilience
Resilience is the process of being able to adapt when faced with challenges, adversity, trauma and stress. It’s not about being stress-proof but having the superpower to overcome it. People who bounce back from tough times, whether young or not-so-young, are the real resilience champs.
It’s not just one thing that makes you resilient; it’s a whole journey shaped by dealing with risks and having some protective factors in your corner. Facing challenges is key to building resilience, and studies say it’s the secret sauce for finding happiness, success, and achieving your goals.
Those protective factors? They’re like your internal superheroes, and guess what? You can learn and develop these skills.
According to research, one of the key factors that determine your ability to deal with adversity is how you bounce back from things when they are tough (resilience).
Resilience is important because it:
- Helps you to try new things.
- Encourages you to take on challenges.
- Keeps you going when things get tough.
- Keeps your dreams alive.
- Helps you to deal with failure and frustration.
- Give you the strength to get up and try again.
- Give you a ‘WHY’ to keep going for.
Why is resilience important for young people?
Resilience equips children and young people with essential life skills, empowering them to navigate and handle inevitable challenges and circumstances. This includes effectively managing unexpected changes, transitioning through various life phases, and coping with daily hassles and stressors.
Resilience plays a crucial role in helping young people cope with unforeseen traumatic events. The ability to navigate uncertainty, adapt to change, and handle ambiguity are valuable skills. Learning resilience skills during adolescence can significantly impact a young person’s outcomes and success in life.
It’s important to note that resilience isn’t about being immune to stress but rather the distinct ability to bounce back from difficult events. It involves a dynamic learning process, incorporating internal mechanisms and strategies that individuals employ when faced with challenges or adversity.
One way to think of resilience is by asking yourself, ” When I go through difficult times, am I able to bounce back, or do I struggle to pick myself up and keep going?”
Five key factors
Social enterprise Boing Boing, through research originating from Professor Angie Hart (visit the Boingboing website www.boingboing.org.uk ) identifies 5 key factors that have a huge influence on how resilient a person will be. They are:
- Basic needs: I have enough money, a nice place to live, a good diet, time to relax, and getting enough exercise.
- Belonging: I recognise strong and healthy relationships, that I belong, that I am needed, I can make and keep friends.
- Learning: Through engaging well with my school or college courses, being organised and achieving my goals.
- Coping: Learning from my mistakes, not being too critical of myself and helping myself through problems solving
- Core self: I can understand the feelings of others, understand what I am good at and be hopeful about the future.
This Resilience Wall Framework recognises that we all have a role we can play in supporting and promoting resilience for children, young people and their families. The tool is designed to help an individual, school, or family review their own resilience and set out a plan of action that aims to improve resilience levels by making practical changes to their day-to-day lives, building resilience brick-by-brick.