Resilient People recover from adversity more quickly. This doesn’t mean that if you are resilient your don’t have tough times, we all do. But the more resilient you are the better able you’ll be to bounce back during difficult or challenging times.

Some people seem to remain on top of things when they go wrong, while others just don’t cope so well. Being resilient means you can deal with challenge, change and high demand without being fazed or stopped in your tracks.

Being resilient doesn’t mean being problem-free. It means you are able to cope with adversity and keep functioning, both psychologically and physically.

Resilient people are able to use their strengths and skills to cope and recover from problems and challenges like changes at work, job loss, financial pressures, illness, natural disasters and emergencies, divorce or bereavement.

Being able to ‘bounce back’ like this doesn’t mean that resilient people avoid stress. The problems of life affect us all, but more resilience means better coping, less disruption, and the ability to learn and grow rather than wither and grind to a halt.

Less resilient people are more easily overwhelmed by negative events. They don’t know the steps to resilience and tend to use unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with a challenge. They are slower to get back to normal after a setback and may feel more psychological distress.

If you are a resilient person you won’t escape stress and life’s difficulties, but it gives you the ability to tackle problems head on, to overcome adversity and move on with your life.

See also: Three Keys to Boost Your Resilience