Is Collective Trauma Real and Can Resilience Training Help You Cope?
Yes, though we firmly believe in the power of individual experience to change lives, we can acknowledge a sort of collective trauma does exist. In fact, we’ve been experiencing it for the past couple of months. And yes, resilience training can help you to cope with the effects of a collective crisis.
However, we would do well to accept that our most recent health crisis is not the only example of communal trauma we have, and might again experience. From mud slides and earthquakes to hurricanes and school shootings, local communities and the country at large are increasingly conscious of human tragedy and natural crises.
And, while human beings are on the whole resilient, a variety of effects and responses can be experienced by individuals in such situations. These can be subtle or profound and can be brief or long term yet, all of these responses can be labelled collective trauma.
Your response to this form of communal trauma might include serious levels of stress. This can be intensified by the lockdowns and stay-at-home orders that have become so common, as well as the large numbers of ill and dying reported in the news.
Coming Back from Trauma and Learning to Be Resilient
Making a “comeback” from trauma, whether physical or emotional, is the very definition of resilience. However, this begs the question of what it takes to be resilient. With guidance from the American Psychological Association, we find that building resilience is about “adapting to life-changing situations, and emerging even stronger than before.”
Because trauma, even collective trauma, can affect you differently than your neighbors, the process of adapting to adversity through resilience training tends to be highly individualized. In other words, “As much as resilience involves ‘bouncing back’ from these difficult experiences, it can also involve profound personal growth.”
Having said that, even if you are more resilient than others you know or work with, that does not mean you do not experience difficulty or distress. Rather, the opposite is true because, by definition of resilience, you are simply better able to cope with trauma and adversity.
How to be More Resilient
Like any sort of self improvement plan, resiliency training requires a conscious choice and the time to develop. The APA offers these strategies (among others) to “increase your capacity for resilience”:
- Prioritize relationships. Connecting with empathetic and understanding people can remind you that you’re not alone in the midst of difficulties. Focus on finding trustworthy and compassionate individuals who validate your feelings, which will support the skill of resilience. The pain of traumatic events can lead some people to isolate themselves, but it’s important to accept help and support from those who care about you.
- Take care of your body. Self-care may be a popular buzzword, but it’s also a legitimate practice for mental health and building resilience. That’s because stress is just as much physical as it is emotional. Promoting positive lifestyle factors like proper nutrition, ample sleep, hydration, and regular exercise can strengthen your body to adapt to stress and reduce the toll of emotions like anxiety or depression.
- Engage in spiritual practice. Mindfulness, whether journaling, yoga, and other spiritual practices like prayer or meditation can also help people build connections and restore hope, which can prime them to deal with situations that require resilience. When you journal, meditate, or pray, ruminate on positive aspects of your life and recall the things you’re grateful for, even during personal trials.
- Help others. Whether you volunteer with a local homeless shelter or simply support a friend in their own time of need, you can garner a sense of purpose, foster self-worth, connect with other people and tangibly help others, all of which can empower you to grow in resilience.
- Keep things in perspective. How you think can play a significant part in how you feel – and how resilient you are when faced with obstacles. Try to identify areas of irrational thinking, such as a tendency to catastrophize difficulties or assume the world is out to get you, and adopt a more balanced and realistic thinking pattern. For instance, if you feel overwhelmed by a challenge, remind yourself that what happened to you isn’t an indicator of how your future will go, and that you’re not helpless. You may not be able to change a highly stressful event, but you can change how you interpret and respond to it.
“Getting help when you need it is crucial in building your resilience”, they say.
If you’re looking for resilience training to fill a resilience leadership role to help others build their resilience skills, I can help. Click here to find out how and to schedule your free call.
