When you hear the words, “Optimism” and “Resilience,” what comes to your mind? Could it be positivity, strength, or leadership? Can you clearly see someone in your mind that embodies these characteristics?
Optimism And Resilience
Optimism and resilience actually go hand in hand. When one goes up, the other is sure to follow and sadly the same happens in reverse. So what exactly do these two attributes mean and how do they work together?
Optimism, can be thought of as hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something. Certain behavioral characteristics tend to come with optimism, for example:
Smiling: Optimistic people tend to start the day with a smile and continue to smile all day long. They smile at strangers, they smile at coworkers, they smile at friends, they smile when they are alone. Smiling is physically easier to do compared to frowning and it will give you a little boost of happiness.
Laughter: Optimistic people tend to believe there is a funny side to every story and they engage in laughter often. According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter has both short and long term benefits. Some of these benefits include, improved immune system, relieving pain, increased personal satisfaction, along with activating and relieving the body’s stress response.
Finding the Silver Lining: Optimistic people focus on the good rather than the bad. They see the glass as half full and can see the bright side to any situation. When unproductive or negative thoughts enter their minds, they immediately redirect and turn the thoughts into positive ones.
Resilience
Resilience refers the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. As with optimism there are certain common characteristics:
Staying Motivated: Resilient people have an unmistakable drive to not only keep going but to keep on going and actually get somewhere. They feel empowered to hit the target regardless of what the arrow must go through to get there.
Being Realistic: When resilient people are presented with a difficult situation, they are able to process what is happening in real time and react based on facts and not pure emotion.
Practicing Self Control: Resilient people are able to hold themselves accountable in their thoughts and actions, regardless of the situation around them.
Amit Sood MD, former professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, and executive director of the Global Center for Resiliency and Well-Being, resilience is, “Your ability to withstand adversity and bounce back and grow despite life’s downturns.”
According to a study from the International Journal of Education and Psychological Research (IJEPR), “Optimism in Relation to Well-being, Resilience, and Perceived Stress,” indicated that the relationship between optimism and resilience was found to be positively significant. Meaning people with high resilience also scored high on optimism.
Optimism can be an instrument of resilience. Keeping yourself motivated is no easy task and sometimes the only way to do that is to “fake it till you make it.” Sometimes in order to keep yourself on the path you need to make a conscious effort to find the light at the end of the tunnel and slap a smile on your face until you get there.
Optimism can also be a side effect of resilience. Once you’ve made it out of the briar patch with only a few scraps and scratches, you may come to realize that the fact that you made it out is a positive and since you are none the worse, things could have always been worse. Or you’re able to look back and laugh at the actual journey through the prickly bushes and thorns.
There is and will always be a very strong connection between optimism and resilience. Having both attributes is a strong indicator of both success and happiness. Obtaining a high level of optimism and resilience can help you achieve your goals and be happy at heart.