Richard Skime, State Representative
Resilience, what is it? According to the “Merriam-Webster Dictionary” Resilience is “The ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.” Those of us working in the Criminal Justice Field know all too well about misfortune or change. Criminal Justice is always changing; in fact change is probably the only consistent part of this business. We change the programing offered based on evidence based practices. We change policies, codes, rules and regulations based on new ideology. These change the way we do daily business.
Staff in the Criminal Justice field also deals with a lot of misfortune. In our profession we receive a lot of criticism from the public we are charged with protecting. We deal with defiant individuals, who don’t want to take responsibilities. There is a higher degree of disrespect, assaults, even death then what the majority of professions deal with.
So how do we bounce back? What do you do to re-center yourself after a long day of work? How much of work do we bring home with us? These are the questions we should be concerned about. I was searching online for keys to resiliency. I found the following “10 Ways to Build Resilience” from the American Psychological Association
*Make connections. Good relationships with close family members, friends or others are important. Accepting help and support from those who care about you and will listen to you strengthens resilience. Some people find that being active in civic groups, faith-based organizations, or other local groups provides social support and can help with reclaiming hope. Assisting others in their time of need also can benefit the helper.
*Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems. You can't change the fact that highly stressful events happen, but you can change how you interpret and respond to these events. Try looking beyond the present to how future circumstances may be a little better. Note any subtle ways in which you might already feel somewhat better as you deal with difficult situations.
*Accept that change is a part of living. Certain goals may no longer be attainable as a result of adverse situations. Accepting circumstances that cannot be changed can help you focus on circumstances that you can alter.
*Move toward your goals. Develop some realistic goals. Do something regularly — even if it seems like a small accomplishment — that enables you to move toward your goals. Instead of focusing on tasks that seem unachievable, ask yourself, "What's one thing I know I can accomplish today that helps me move in the direction I want to go?"
*Take decisive actions. Act on adverse situations as much as you can. Take decisive actions, rather than detaching completely from problems and stresses and wishing they would just go away.
*Look for opportunities for self-discovery. People often learn something about themselves and may find that they have grown in some respect as a result of their struggle with loss. Many people who have experienced tragedies and hardship have reported better relationships, greater sense of strength even while feeling vulnerable, increased sense of self-worth, a more developed spirituality and heightened appreciation for life.
*Nurture a positive view of yourself. Developing confidence in your ability to solve problems and trusting your instincts helps build resilience.
*Keep things in perspective. Even when facing very painful events, try to consider the stressful situation in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective. Avoid blowing the event out of proportion.
*Maintain a hopeful outlook. An optimistic outlook enables you to expect that good things will happen in your life. Try visualizing what you want, rather than worrying about what you fear.
*Take care of yourself. Pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Engage in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly. Taking care of yourself helps to keep your mind and body primed to deal with situations that require resilience.
To read the full article here is the link:
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx
References:
“Merriam-Webster Dictionary” - http://www.merriam-webster.com/
“American Psychological Association” - http://www.apa.org/index.aspx