How to build resilience for better health

When Dutch researchers asked 600 people 85 and older to identify the key components of successful aging, they came up with one that surprised even the experts: psychological health. But rather than defining psychological health as the lack of depression or other mental health conditions, they told researchers it meant being able to adjust to circumstances, focus on gains rather than losses and appreciate your blessings. We have another word for it: resilience. Here are some tips on how you can build your resilience.

Resilience is why certain kids who grow up surrounded by poverty or cruelty still manage to get into top universities and become successful. It's why some people rebuild after hurricanes, despite the challenges and hardships. It's why you say of someone who's just been diagnosed with cancer or who has just lost a husband or whose business has just failed: "I can't believe how well she's handling this."

• Think of a resilient person as a human rubber band — able to be stretched to the breaking point and still snap back.
• What resilience is not is "positive psychology," or always "looking on the bright side."
• Resilience is having a balanced perspective and understanding that there are going to be daily challenges.

• Resilience is being able to focus on your assets instead of your weaknesses.
• Resilient people learn to value themselves and to look for measures of their successes, not failures .
• Everyone has some measure of resilience, but older adults should be most resilient because of the wisdom they've gained from decades of coping with challenging situations.
• Draw on your wealth of experience to come up with solutions to the current situation.
• If you're faced with financial trouble, you can think back to another time this happened and draw strength from the fact that you managed the situation then, so you can manage it now.
• Resilience really comes into play when you're confronted with stress. If you're resilient, you recover from stress faster, reducing the damaging impact it can have on your body and readying yourself more quickly for the next challenge.

• Adapt to change easily
• Feel in control of their lives
• Are able to bounce back after difficult times
• Have close, dependable relationships
• Remain optimistic even in the face of challenges
• Can function well under pressure
• Have a sense of humour, even under stress
• Have a sense of confidence and strength in themselves as individuals
• Believe things happen for a reason
• Can handle uncertainty or unpleasant feelings
• Know where to turn for help
• Like challenges
• Enjoy taking the lead
• Have hobbies and other activities

No worries. Even if you're on the low end of the resilience scale, you can take steps today to build your inner resilience.