Resiliency is the ability to successfully adapt to stressors, maintain psychological well-being, and bounce back from difficult life events. It is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands. Resilience is not a trait that people either have or don’t have, but rather it involves behaviors, thoughts, and actions that can be learned and developed in everyone. Some factors that contribute to how well people adapt to adversities include the ways in which individuals view and engage with the world, the availability and quality of social resources, and specific coping strategies.

Psychological research shows that the resources and skills associated with more positive adaptation (i.e., greater resilience) can be cultivated and practiced. Resilient people are able to adapt to stress, crises, and trauma. They find ways to bounce back from the ups and downs of life and move forward. Resilience is about being adaptable, flexible, and recognizing that we have strengths that we may not have known we had until we have to use them.

Resilience is a vital resource that can protect individuals from the harmful effects of stress and help them regain a sense of control in their lives. It is often defined by our ability to remain flexible and reframe the adversities we face so that we adapt, progress, and move forward. Resilience is a skill that can be developed and improved with practice.