Most of us at some point in our lives will be struck by major traumas such as the sudden death of a loved one, a debilitating disease, assault, or a natural disaster. Resilience refers to the ability to 'bounce back' after encountering difficulty. This book provides a guide to building emotional, mental and physical resilience by presenting ten factors to help anyone become more resilient to life's challenges. Specific resilience factors such as facing fear, optimism, and social support are described through the experiences and personal reflections of highly resilient survivors. These survivors also describe real-life methods for practicing and benefiting from the resilience factors. As resilience is the complex product of genetic, psychological, biological, social, and spiritual factors, the authors investigate resilience from multiple scientific perspectives. They synthesize the latest literature on the topic, describe their own research on resilience, and quote from their interviews with highly resilient people.

Focuses on ten key resilience factors and addresses optimism, moral compass, role models, religion, and physical training, bringing hope and inspiration for overcoming adversity
Provides recommendations for building resilience based on sound scientific knowledge
Covers community resilience which clinicians, researchers and politicians are increasingly focused on due to the number of tragic events affecting communities world-wide

Table of Contents

1. What is resilience?
2. Optimism: belief in a brighter future
3. Facing fear: an adaptive response
4. Moral compass, ethics, and altruism: doing what is right
5. Religion and spirituality: drawing on faith
6. Social support: learning the tap code
7. Role models: providing the road map
8. Training: physical fitness and strengthening
9. Brain fitness: challenge your mind and heart
10. Cognitive and emotional flexibility
11. Meaning, purpose, and growth
12. The practice of resilience
Appendix 1: further information about posttraumatic stress disorder
Appendix 2: community resilience