Having said that we all have a basic level of resilience which allows us to initially cope with our first encounter of a particular type of stress and to still keep functioning. Much like our basal metabolic rate (BMR) or resting metabolic rate (RMR) which is our basic level of energy use or calories burnt when at rest allowing vital organs to keep functioning i.e. heart, lungs, kidneys, muscles, nervous system etc.
So we will all have a basal resilience rate (BRR) or resting resilience rate (RRR) which as with the BMR/RMR we can increase through the state of our mind and body.
Our mind and body states can be further split into four elements Mental, Emotional, Behavioural and Physical. If we look after our mental and physical states then we will increase or resting resilience rate so through healthy eating, getting a good nights sleep, keeping the body hydrated, having self-confidence, being emotionally aware, having the support of friends, family and colleagues we can increase our RRR. I have developed a Resilience Model which includes some of the main factors which will influence our RRR.
Equally, if we eat junk food, drink alcohol and smoke excessively, are dehydrated, low self-esteem, trouble sleeping, don't exercise, irritable and emotionally un-balanced then our RRR will be very low.
If we experience a particularly stressful event then we are much more able to deal with this if we have a high RRR and after, much more able to cope with repeated exposure to that type of stress event thus building up a resistance to that type of stress.
So we now know what factors will influence our ability to become more resilient and next time we will find out 'How do we become more resilient'.
