As an aviator you may be going through a really challenging time currently. However, your resilience, learned from many hours of preparation and training, may just be the trigger that pulls you through the turmoil you might be experiencing at a time like this.

Resilience is your unique ability to adapt well to change and bounce back from the hardships of life. With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting every aspect of your life, you may be experiencing a flood of thoughts and/or emotions such as fear, anxiety, sadness and uncertainty. Resilience is your capacity to recover and thrive in spite of adversity and it is being tested now more than ever.

What Resilience is not

• Immunity from life’s challenges ~ everybody goes through stressful life events
• Suppression and denial ~ “that did not happen to me”
• A personality trait ~ anyone can learn and develop resilience
• Being ruled by your emotions
• Self-blame and negative self-talk ~ “why do bad things always happen to me?”
• Wallowing in self-pity

How to Build Resilience

EVERYONE has the ability to build resilience ~ similar to a muscle, the more you exercise it the more it will develop. The most resilient people are those who have experienced, overcome and been strengthened by many hardships in life. Despite the potentially negative impact of life events, there still are aspects of your life you can control. Here are 8 steps to becoming more resilient that may help you:

Reference List: 

American Psychological Association (APA). 01 February 2020. Building your resilience. https://www.apa.org/topics/resilience.

Centre for Creative Leadership. 15 March 2020. 8 Steps to becoming more resilient. https://www.ccl.org/blog/8-steps-help-become-resilient/.

Centre for Creative Leadership. (n.d). Leadership Resiliency, Handling Stress, Uncertainty and Setbacks. https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/leadership-resiliency-handling-stress-uncertainty-and-setbacks/.

Mental Toughness Partners. 20 October 2017. 10 ways to build resilience. https://www.mentaltoughness.partners/build-resilience/.

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