In early 2020 I wrote a blog named Armour Up: Resilience for Good Mental Health, and how prophetic that blog was to be I had no idea.
Following was to be one the toughest years humanity has lived through, as the collective global population dealt with the surrealistic repercussions of Covid-19.
We have seen and heard about the devastation left in its wake and experienced a new way of regulated and isolated existence that for most is far outside of their scope of normalcy. We have felt the pressure of financial insecurity, the isolation of social distancing, the fear of infection by the virus of us or loved ones, the uncertainty – perhaps in some ways the most debilitating of all – of what will happen to us…to the world.
For those of us who have family spread throughout the globe, we felt the worry of not knowing when and if we will feel the embrace of our loved ones again.
Suffice it to say – this year has been nothing if not a test of human resilience.
In the face of acute or ongoing trauma some people may develop what is termed post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This is a condition characterised by panic attacks, hyper arousal, intrusive thoughts and mental imagery, and anxiety which may be triggered by circumstances that are perceived to be associated with the trauma.
The reason for bringing up the topic of PTSD is not to suggest that we are all going to be falling prey to it, but rather to raise the topic of another related construct: post traumatic growth (PTG). This terms was coined by Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun and is defined as ‘the positive psychological change that is experienced as a result of the struggle with highly challenging life circumstances.’
The outcome theory of PTG posits that transformation and growth is a natural response to stressful experiences and that when we engage in positive coping behaviours transformation in the form of PTG may be the unexpected outcome.
The human capacity for resilience is astounding. Research shows that most people who experience trauma not only do not develop PTSD, but in a quest to make sense of their experience, actually experience psychological growth.
In a year filled with unhappiness and uncertainty, wouldn’t it be more fitting to look toward what we could actually have gained through our experience? Character is forged through enduring hardship. How much can one truly grow through exposure to rainbows and unicorns?
The following seven areas of growth have been reported to spring from adversity:
Greater appreciation of life
Greater appreciation and strengthening of close relationships
Increased compassion and altruism
The identification of new possibilities or a purpose in life
Greater awareness and utilization of personal strengths
Enhanced spiritual development
Creative growth.
Measuring Posttraumatic Growth
If you were wondering how you may know whether you are on of those people who have experienced PTG, you can solve the mystery by completing the posttraumatic growth inventory available here.
How to tap into posttraumatic growth?
As always we turn to the mind, where our greatest source of potential lies.
One way of developing PTG is by developing what is called psychological flexibility. This is the ability to be open to different ways of thinking and viewing people, events and circumstances, rather than being rigid in our ways of thinking. This allows us to see opportunities where there is pain, and hope where before there may have been none. Perhaps we can see new goals or purpose emerge as we align with our core values.
Psychological flexibility is achieved by drawing on the principles of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and practicing acceptance of what is, rather than resisting or avoiding the unpleasant emotions that we feel around 2020. The more we resist, the less we have capacity to grow and create meaning from this year. Acceptance simply means acknowledging the feelings, noticing them, experiencing them.
Next time you feel the emotions well up and for the millionth time ask yourself what is going on with the world?? – do this: Allow yourself a few moments to take in what you are feeling and notice the sensations and emotions as they manifest in your body. What is the emotion? How does it feel? Where do you feel it in your body? After a few moments, ground yourself by taking a deep breath and returning your attention to your physical environment.
Another way towards psychological growth offered by the events of this year is to ruminate. Yes, ruminate – but in a productive way. Another term for this would be cognitive processing. Rather than passively letting intrusive, recurring thoughts play in a loop in your mind, what could be more useful is putting pen to paper and expressing how this experience has made you feel. Research demonstrates up to 15 minutes a day of expressive writing to be helpful in sense making and emotional expression. Simply start to write and note down whatever comes to mind.
Sharing what you have been through in the face of Covid-19 and the associated positive and negative emotions is another avenue for growth. This includes disclosing with others in a trusted support system or those who can relate and share your experience. Given the global nature of Covid, finding the latter should not pose too much of a problem.
Drawing from one of our favourite fields - positive psychology - a final way to develop PTG is via a personal disposition: optimism. Optimists are more likely to reap the transformative benefits of PTG. Optimism may come more naturally to some, but theory of personality assumes that people can adapt personal traits with the right efforts. No need to complicate things. If you find yourself leaning more toward a pessimistic outlook for 2021, it may be worth reflecting on your own optimistic (or lack thereof) nature. A simple way to build optimism into your day is by starting small and noticing the good that is all around you. As you get into the habit, this type of thinking will start to seep into other areas of your life, including your future outlook.
Take three minutes to do the following activity daily and practice your optimism muscle. At the end of each day, find three things that you truly recognise you can be grateful for and even better if you can make this a family activity. Take it a step further by explaining why you are grateful for these three things. This allows you to remind yourself what it is about these things that make them worth appreciating. If three seem too hard, start with one.
It’s easy to fold under the pressure of the past year. No one can deny it has been a doozy and many yearn for a welcome Christmas break as we feel the weight of the past year on us. However, it is human nature to rise from adversity and see a new way forward.
Ultimately, we all have the potential to grow from this crisis and allow it to mold us into better versions of our 2020 selves.
Blog by Ance Strydom