Resilient people also have good communication skills. “They talk to others when bad things happen,” said Dr. Hassett, and keep things in perspective. “They do downward social comparisons, including gratitude for what’s not wrong or bad in their lives.”
Besides a tendency to be optimistic, Dr. Hassett said resilient people never stray too far from what they see as their sense of purpose. “They tend to understand who they are and where they’re going; things are meaningful to them.”
Dr. Hassett said her clinic uses positive activity interventions to help patients overcome anxiety and depression and other negative patterns. These include asking patients to keep a gratitude diary and to recognize and list their character strengths. Each day, patients are asked to write down their top seven strengths.
“Everyone has strengths,” said Dr. Hassett. “People may need to be reminded what their strengths are.”
Along with keeping the diary, patients must use one of their strengths in a way they have not done before every day for a week. “Each night they write down how they used one of their strengths that day, including how they felt before, during and after the activity, and whether they planned to repeat it in the future,” said Dr. Hassett.
Another exercise she recommends: Patients should send texts to people they haven’t been in touch with for quite a while. “If, out of the blue, you tell someone you’re thinking about them, you’ll be surprised by what happens afterward.”
Mike Fillon is a healthcare writer living in the Atlanta area.
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