Reflecting on Your Own Capabilities Boosts Resilience

Reflecting on how you have overcome past personal challenges can help you process negative experiences, a new study from the University of Zurich confirms. Actively reminding yourself of your self-efficacy could also prove useful in the coronavirus era. The unpredictable nature of life during the coronavirus pandemic is particularly challenging for many people. Not everyone can cope equally well with the uncertainty and loss of control. Research has shown that while a large segment of the population turns out to be resilient in times of stress and potentially traumatic events, others are less robust and develop stress-related illnesses. Events that some people experience as draining seem to be a source of motivation and creativity for others. These differing degrees of resilience demonstrate that people recover from stressful events at different rates, with psychosocial factors such as positivity, optimism, the ability to self-regulate, social skills, problem-solving skills and social support playing a role.