Lesson One - Resilience and Coping
| Site: | MoodleHUB.ca 🍁 |
| Course: | Mental Health & Wellness [1 cr] - AB Ed copy 1 |
| Book: | Lesson One - Resilience and Coping |
| Printed by: | Guest user |
| Date: | Sunday, 7 September 2025, 6:46 PM |
Information
- This lesson is designed to take approximately 3 hours.
- You have the following tasks and assignments to complete in this lesson:
- Read all Lesson 1 content, including videos, supplementary links, etc.
- Lesson 1 Journal
Lesson Outcomes
- Evaluate the concept of resiliency as an adaptive coping skill and describe:
- factors that help promote resiliency in the face of stress and adversity
- risk factors that inhibit resilient responses to stress
- Describe common maladaptive reactions to stress and crises, including the use of addictive substances
Building Resilience—Part A
The Bounce Back Project has identified five main pillars to building and maintaining resilience. All of these pillars work together and are not separate from each other. By working on these pillars, people are able to cope more efficiently with difficult times instead of getting caught in the downward spiral of despair. It can take some time and work to achieve and maintain these pillars, but it is all part of a lifelong journey toward positive mental health.
This is having a clear picture of who the individual is as a person. They need to be able to objectively acknowledge strengths, weaknesses, beliefs, motivations, and all emotions. It can be painful to admit when motivations or emotions are
not what were expected or what we were wanting to project to the world; however, being honest with oneself will help bring more self-awareness. An increased self-awareness helps us understand how we are viewed by others.
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Self-care is different for each person because everyone needs something tailored just for them. It is something that helps us take care of our mental health in our own unique way so that we can function in the world while still meeting challenges.
Self-care is something that changes with the person and needs to be engaged in often in order to maintain.
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Mindfulness is being able to focus solely on the present, not dwell on the past, or worry about the future. Focusing on the present also means acknowledging emotions in the moment and not judging them as positive or negative, just recognizing
that we are experiencing that emotion. The individual also acknowledges their thoughts in the present in the same way, without judgement. Mindfulness allows us to live in the moment instead of getting “stuck” either in the past or future.
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Positive relationships are also known as a social support network. This network is very important to positive mental health because we are built to be connected to others and this support network provides that connection. Having a support
network will also help us become more supportive ourselves. Social support networks help people enjoy healthier, happier, more connected and satisfied lives.
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Purpose, in relation to the five pillars, refers to the fact that there is something more than the individual. A person’s purpose helps to shape their mindset and guides their actions towards others. Finding purpose can be found in many
different places such as: family, religion, a particular political party, having a green initiative, or even being part of an organization like the Boy Scouts or Girl Guides.
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Building Resilience—Part B
The American Psychological Association has identified 10 ways in which an individual can build resilience:
- make connections
- avoid seeing crisis as insurmountable problems
- accept that change is part of living
- move toward your goals
- take decisive actions
- look for opportunities for self-discovery
- nurture a positive view of yourself
- keep things in perspective
- maintain a hopeful outlook
- take care of yourself
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You will notice that some of these are the same or quite similar to the five pillars explained on the previous page. The main themes to take away from this list and the five pillars are that you need to keep an optimistic outlook, remain positive yet realistic, create and maintain a social support network, and engage in self-care!
Building Resilience—Part C
This page is dedicated to some review. It will have videos that revisits what resilience actually is; the science behind resilience; how resilience is built; building resilience; and, it will end with a game involving resiliency and coping skills.
What is resilience? Watch the video for a quick review!
How is resilience built? Watch the video.
The science of resilience - watch the video to find out more!
Watch the video from the Mayo Clinic about how to achieve and maintain a happy brain!
How do you build resilience in your community? Check out this game from Harvard University to see how!
What Might Inhibit Resilience?
Sometimes there are factors that can hinder the resilience responses a person has worked so hard to build up. One really complex factor is perception. If a person perceives that they do not have any control or influence over a situation,
or even their life in general, resilience can be greatly impacted. Note that this does not necessarily reflect reality, only the perception of the individual.
Another factor that may inhibit resilience is a combination of the person’s social support network and perception. Individuals who receive unsupportive, critical, or unreceptive support from their network (or perceive that they are getting this type of support) are less likely to be resilient when faced with difficult times.
Another factor that may inhibit resilience is a combination of the person’s social support network and perception. Individuals who receive unsupportive, critical, or unreceptive support from their network (or perceive that they are getting this type of support) are less likely to be resilient when faced with difficult times.
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Perception is very powerful in how a person reacts to the world around them. If they believe that they do not have control in what happens, or whatever they need at a particular time, they will ultimately feel powerless to make the necessary changes to their life.
Maladaptive Coping Skills
Sometimes when individuals are faced with difficult situations, they choose to cope in ways that are more destructive than helpful. These coping skills are commonly utilized in order to lessen or forget the intense negative feelings the person is experiencing. Below is a list of common maladaptive coping responses individuals indulge in.
Click on each collapsible row to view more information.
Trying to avoid or ignore a problem may work for a time; however, this does require mental energy and will eventually exhaust the individual. Escaping and/or avoiding a problem is not a long-term solution; the person should come to accept
the idea and learn more positive or adaptive coping skills.
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Examples of an unhealthy comfort zone would be immediately eating ice cream or chocolate when something negative happens; binge-watching television; or being on the internet for hours doing nothing in particular. This type of comfort is an
error in perception and actually leads to more distress.
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This is an extreme measure where individuals emotionally distance themselves from interpersonal relationships because they fear being hurt. Emotional numbing can be quite dangerous as it reinforces risky behaviour such as substance abuse
and social isolation.
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Above information credit: Positive Psychology's Coping Theory, https://positivepsychology.com/coping-theory/
Schema Theory also lists some maladaptive coping mechanisms, and you will see that some are the same or similar to Coping Theory.
Click on each collapsible row to view more information.
Aggression or hostility — The individual will retaliate against others by defying, blaming, criticizing, abusing, or attacking them.
Dominance or excessive self-assertion — The individual attempts to control others in order to accomplish their own goals.
Recognition-seeking or status-seeking — The individual grossly overcompensates through trying to impress others with high achievements, status, attention-seeking behaviours, etc.
Manipulation or exploitation — The individual attempts to meet their needs by manipulating, seducing, being dishonest, or conning others.
Passive-aggressiveness or rebellion — The individual will appear very compliant, but is “punishing” others or rebelling covertly through procrastination, pouting, tardiness, complaining, rebellion, not working, etc.
Excessive orderliness or obsessionality — The individual maintains strict order and self-control or a high level of predictability because of planning or adherence to a routine, ritual, or undue caution. This person would spend too much time finding the “best” way to do a task or avoid a certain outcome.
Dominance or excessive self-assertion — The individual attempts to control others in order to accomplish their own goals.
Recognition-seeking or status-seeking — The individual grossly overcompensates through trying to impress others with high achievements, status, attention-seeking behaviours, etc.
Manipulation or exploitation — The individual attempts to meet their needs by manipulating, seducing, being dishonest, or conning others.
Passive-aggressiveness or rebellion — The individual will appear very compliant, but is “punishing” others or rebelling covertly through procrastination, pouting, tardiness, complaining, rebellion, not working, etc.
Excessive orderliness or obsessionality — The individual maintains strict order and self-control or a high level of predictability because of planning or adherence to a routine, ritual, or undue caution. This person would spend too much time finding the “best” way to do a task or avoid a certain outcome.
Compliance or dependence — The individual relies on others, seeks affiliation, is passive and dependent, submissive, clinging, avoids conflict, and is very people-pleasing.
Social withdrawal or excessive autonomy — The individual copes by socially isolating themselves. They might demonstrate an exaggerated focus on independence and self-reliance rather than wanting to look like they need others. The individual
may engage in private activities such as binge-watching television, reading, or spending excessive amounts of time on the internet.
Compulsive stimulation seeking — The individual looks for excitement and/or distraction through compulsive habits such as shopping, gambling, risk-taking activities, physical activity, novelty, etc.
Addictive self-soothing — The individual avoids negative situations through addictions such as drugs, alcohol, overeating, etc.
Psychological withdrawal — The individual copes by psychologically disconnecting, becoming numb, denying, engaging in fantasy, or any other form of psychological escape.
Compulsive stimulation seeking — The individual looks for excitement and/or distraction through compulsive habits such as shopping, gambling, risk-taking activities, physical activity, novelty, etc.
Addictive self-soothing — The individual avoids negative situations through addictions such as drugs, alcohol, overeating, etc.
Psychological withdrawal — The individual copes by psychologically disconnecting, becoming numb, denying, engaging in fantasy, or any other form of psychological escape.