The Meaning of Resilience: How To Bounce Back From Overwhelm and Thrive

Last Updated on August 21, 2025

What is the meaning of resilience? Resilience means your ability to recover following traumatic events. Some people are resilient enough that they may even flourish in the aftermath. Let’s explore resilience and how to improve your ability to meet life’s demands.

Understanding Resilience

Living our values and having a purpose guiding our lives is essential. But even the Dalai Lama lives in a world where he must deal with people and cultures that violate his principles.

How do you exist in a world where injustice mars your vision of peace?

For example, psychologist and author Melanie Joy offers an example of this dilemma for vegans. Vegans who care about animals know about animals’ incredible suffering on our planet. Burnout for animal activists is high because they cannot go about in society without seeing the suffering. When a carnivore goes to a restaurant, the smell and size of a steak are pleasant. For a vegan, it is evidence of a corpse who likely led a terrible life and was killed inhumanely. Those two viewpoints exist side by side, and both people think the other is wrong.

Resilience helps you cope with moral dilemmas like this.

What Does Resilience Mean?

Resilience means you can adapt when faced with challenges and work through and recover from trauma. You cope and grow from challenges.

Research shows that resilience can be cultivated. When your normal adaptive systems work correctly, you adapt and grow. Ann Masten studied trauma in children and was surprised to find more resilience than she expected in this vulnerable population.

“The conclusion that resilience is made of ordinary rather than extraordinary processes offers a more positive outlook on human development and adaptation…”  Ann Masten

Instead of withering in the aftermath of trauma, some people experience posttraumatic growth, resulting in better inner strength, changed priorities, and more appreciation of their life.

Malala Yousafzai is a powerful example of resilience and posttraumatic growth. After being shot by the Taliban for advocating for girls’ education in Pakistan, Malala not only survived but also continued her activism on a global scale. Her ability to recover from this traumatic event, keep her passion for education, and become a Nobel Peace Prize laureate shows remarkable resilience. She channeled her pain through adversity into purposeful action.

Trauma can lead to positive changes in how you perceive yourself and your abilities. You might be more empathetic and willing to develop better relationships with friends and family. Your perspective may change, so you prioritize and live your values daily.

The Magnitude of Global Issues

*Trigger Warning* This section has AI projections that may be disturbing. Feel free to move to the next section.

People who care about justice have to face that, for some causes, our vision for our world will likely not happen in our lifetimes. I asked ChatGPT, “What causes will likely be unsolved in the normal lifetime of someone born in 2025?”

ChatGPT said:  Here are several global-scale issues that are likely to still be unresolved—even if progress is made—within the lifetime of someone born in 2025 (i.e., likely living to around 2100):

🌍 Environmental and Climate Challenges

1. Climate Change Mitigation
   While emissions may be reduced, full climate stabilization and reversal of global warming effects (e.g., sea level rise, ecosystem collapse) will take many generations.
2. Biodiversity Loss
   Many species have already gone extinct, and ecosystems are still being degraded. Full restoration is unlikely within one human lifetime.
3. Plastic Pollution and Ocean Degradation
   Even with bans and cleanup efforts, the vast amount of microplastics already in the environment will persist for centuries.

🧑🏾‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Structural Inequality and Justice

1. Global Poverty and Economic Inequality
   While extreme poverty rates may improve, large disparities in wealth and opportunity—within and between countries—will likely persist.
2. Systemic Racism and Discrimination
   These deeply rooted social issues evolve slowly. Progress will occur, but full equity across all sectors is unlikely within a single lifetime.
3. Gender Equity
   Although great strides have been made, true parity in pay, representation, and power—especially across cultures—is still a distant goal.

🧠 Health, Ethics, and Technology

1. Mental Health Crises
   Rising mental health challenges are fueled by complex, ongoing stressors (social media, inequality, climate anxiety). A full solution involves systemic and cultural change.
2. Ethical AI and Technology Governance
   As technologies outpace regulation, ensuring they serve public good rather than exacerbate harms will remain an ongoing struggle.
3. Antibiotic Resistance and Global Health Security
   As drug resistance increases and new pathogens emerge, global preparedness may improve but not fully eliminate these threats.

🌐 Governance and Conflict

1. Authoritarianism and Political Instability
   Democracy and human rights will continue to be contested globally. Autocratic regimes and regional instability are likely to persist or recur.
2. Refugee Crises and Statelessness
   Driven by war, climate, and poverty, displacement will remain a significant, unresolved challenge.

🪐 Philosophical or Existential Challenges

1. Sustainable Development for 10+ Billion People Balancing consumption, equity, and environmental limits on a crowded planet may never fully be resolved, though progress is possible.
2. Ethical Coexistence With Emerging Life Forms Whether advanced AI or genetically modified organisms, creating ethical systems for coexistence and integration may span generations.

No wonder many people, especially activists, are stressed and overwhelmed. Although you may not see these problems disappear in your lifetime, you can make meaningful changes toward resolving the issues for future generations.

Climate change activist Joanna Macy coined the term “active hope,” which means to focus on contributing to the bigger effort and give up trying to do everything yourself.

“Since we each look out onto a different corner of the planet and bring with us our own particular portfolio of interests, skills, and experiences, we are touched by different concerns and called to respond in different ways.” ~ Joanna Macy

The Impact of Stress on Resilience

“Stress is a part of everyday life. Indeed, a 2022 poll by the American Psychological Association shows that, for many Americans, stress levels were higher than what is considered healthy. Economic concerns and global uncertainty were top sources of stress. And in 2022, the World Health Organization reported a distressing 25% increase in anxiety and depression worldwide, brought on by stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It seems that being “stressed out” is a hallmark of modern life, and it’s likely here to stay.” Weitan

You cannot avoid stress, but you can manage how you react to it.

The availability of news from around the world pushes people to extremes in their beliefs. For example, humans tend to overestimate the likelihood of terrible events. I remember being stressed as a child about the possibility of my mother dying. She lived to be 93 years old.

However, we ignore or underestimate the possibility of ordinary stressful events, such as our car breaking down. Why are we always so surprised when that happens?

Try this quiz from Psychology Applied to Modern Life:

Various causes of death are paired up below. For each pairing, decide which is the more likely cause of death. (answer at the end of the post)

Asthma vs. tornadoes

Syphilis vs. botulism (food poisoning)

Tuberculosis vs. floods

Chronic Stress

Experiencing lower levels of stress over time can be debilitating, potentially even more than dealing with a traumatic event. Chronic stress across your life roles (busy mother, employee, volunteer, family) accumulates. Chronic stress can impair decision-making, reduce emotional regulation, and exhaust our coping resources.

On the other hand, using effective coping strategies helps us manage stress, preserve our emotional balance, and build resilience over time. You can check your stress levels and be prepared to use coping strategies. And the more you practice healthy responses to stress, the more your resilience strengthens.

Burnout and Caregiver Fatigue

Burnout is usually discussed in the context of work. It manifests as physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and a lowered sense of self-efficacy.

I have heard activists struggling with burnout say they cannot take a break because they will let others suffer. However, burnout may require you to step back to heal and continue the work.

Activist and psychologist Melanie Joy recommends that you remind yourself that stress and potential burnout are normal, and that self-care is normal, too. She recommends three months away from activism if you are burned out.

How do you know if you are burned out?  Learn more: How To Use a Compassion Fatigue Test to Battle Burnout.

Trauma

Trauma might look like the loss of a loved one, divorce, a natural disaster in your town, a physical attack, or a threat to your mental or physical health.

You may experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which affects about 9% of people. PTSD symptoms include flashbacks or nightmares about the event and increased anxiety or depression. PTSD may leave you vulnerable to increased alcohol or drug consumption. Recognize that you may be vulnerable after trauma and seek help if needed.

After experiencing a traumatic event, it helps to get back into your regular routine. But take time to process the event positively with social support, journaling, or therapy. Treat yourself to healthy food, exercise, more sleep, and lovely activities like a warm bath or other activities you love.

Building Resilience

Resilience is inner strength developed through positive growth. It looks like good regulation of our emotions, a positive outlook, and healthy self-efficacy.

Rest and Resilience

Physician Saundra Dalton-Smith researches and speaks about how rest contributes to resilience. She focused on this area when she became burned out and realized that sleep and/or vacations, the usual suggestions, did not work for her. She believes stress management isn’t the correct term. Instead, she recommends you focus on seven areas where you expend energy and may need to restore your energy stockpile.

Physical	Restoring your body to decrease tension and promote quality sleep.
Mental	Positive focus on things that matter and avoiding mental chatter.
Spiritual	Connecting with your spiritual core and purpose.
Emotional	Being open to expressing your emotions authentically.
Social	Prioritizing social relationships that are supportive and engaging.
Sensory	Creating an environment that supports you.
Creative	Nurturing your creativity and innovation.

For example, suppose you have strong emotions about something. In that case, Dalton-Smith recommends replenishing your emotional energy by expressing those feelings instead of bottling them up. That might mean talking with a friend or therapist, or keeping a journal.

Dalton-Smith offers a free quiz to help you identify where you are getting enough rest among seven areas.

Optimism and Resilience

If you are optimistic, you will be more likely to act, solve problems, and achieve personal growth. Positive emotions play a role in dealing with chronic stress and traumatic events. For example, if a tornado damages your town, you will likely experience fear, anger, and sadness. But you may also be grateful for being alive and not losing loved ones. People who are resilient frame difficult situations with optimism. For example, “We are happy to be safe after the tornado struck our town. Although we lost many possessions, we know we can replace our things.”

Self-efficacy and Resilience

Self-efficacy is the feeling that you can perform tasks and do them well, a belief that supports achieving your goals. Healthy self-efficacy can help your life in many ways. For example, you will be more likely to persist if you run into difficulties. You won’t blame personal setbacks on your shortcomings. Instead, you’ll consider the cause to be something outside of you, related to the situation.

Self-efficacy is built through time by activities like learning new skills and having good support from others. You can even develop self-efficacy from watching other people perform the skill you wish to achieve.

Use Coping Strategies

You cope when you work to master, reduce, or tolerate stress. Understand what coping strategies work best for you, and you are one step ahead of the effects of stress and trauma.

Build Strong Social Connections

Social support is related to mental and physical health. Giving social support to others also has benefits. Schedule regular check-ins with supportive friends or family. Perhaps join a local or virtual support group.

Reframe Challenges

Remember the optimist survivors of the tornado, who experienced gratitude? They used what is called cognitive reframing. This means telling your brain how to interpret a situation in a way that taps positivity. Practice cognitive reframing to shift your perspective on adverse events.

Develop Emotional Regulation

Recognize and release negative emotions and cultivate positive ones. This might occur with exercise, mindfulness, or distraction. For example, practice at least 5-10 minutes of mindfulness meditation daily. I use the Healthy Minds app.

Improve Your Time Management

Improving your time management may be a coping strategy if you are experiencing problems and stress getting things done.

Try a time block calendar for the week. Fill in the one-hour slots with your plans and then revisit what happened after the week is over. You may be surprised at how much you expected of yourself, or where you spent your time. This may lead to a more realistic calendar based on your priorities.

Take Action on an Issue

Take action to confront an issue causing stress, rather than avoiding or engaging in negative coping strategies such as alcohol. Reframe the issue as a challenge you can influence, not a crisis. Pick one concrete, immediate step you can take to get started.

Make a Difference

Building resilience is a lifelong journey. Practicing mindfulness, nurturing your support network, and developing emotional regulation skills, you can navigate life’s ups and downs with greater strength and calm.

In these turbulent times, your resilience will support your well-being and inspire those around you. Take small, intentional steps each day. Making a difference in your community can build resilience through acts of kindness and purpose.

Over time, you’ll respond to challenges with greater courage and composure.

Quiz Answers

Various causes of death are paired up below. For each pairing, decide which is the more likely cause of death.

• Asthma vs. tornadoes
• Syphilis vs. botulism (food poisoning)
• Tuberculosis vs. floods

Quiz Answers: The first choice in each pair causes at least 18 times more deaths than the second choice.

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