Presented by BetterHelp.
Resilience is something we’re all born with—it’s the ability to bounce back despite experiencing a traumatic or stressful life event, such as the loss of a loved one, losing your job, or going through a divorce. While often described as something incredible and admirable, resilience is not good or bad. Sometimes resilience is thrust upon us because we have no other option but to move forward and keep living. External factors out of our control often play into this, such as racism, systemic oppression, disability, and socioeconomic status.
What resilience means to one person may not be what it means to another, but it does mean that you are strong no matter what your definition is. It doesn’t hurt to learn about others’ triumphs and tales of finding resilience, as it can teach us a thing or two about gratitude as well.
If you’re interested, let’s explore a list of books dedicated to being resilient—you can also visit BetterHelp to learn more about this subject too.
The Resilience Factor: 7 Keys To Find Your Inner Strength And Overcoming Life’s Hurdles — Karen Reivich and Andrew Shatte Ph.D.
The authors utilize techniques commonly used in cognitive behavioral therapy to help readers manage stressful life events in the short and long term. They provide worksheets in the book and online exercises to try out on your own.
Resilience: Navigating Life, Loss, and the Road to Success – Lisa Lisson
This autobiography is about Lisson’s experience living life as a high-level executive at FedEx in Canada when suddenly everything changes after her husband goes through an extreme medical emergency. At the same time, Lisson has to maintain her role as a caretaker to her children, her husband, and continue working her stressful job.
The Micro-Resilience: Minor Shifts for Major Boosts in Focus, Drive, and Energy – Bonnie St. John and Allen P. Haines
This book explores “The Five Micro-Resilience Frameworks,” which utilize psychology, physiology, and neuroscience to help the reader focus on positive thinking, use their energy more efficiently, find your life’s purpose, and not be ruled by their primitive impulses. These techniques have helped thousands of people better manage their busy schedules and find a harmonious work/life balance.
Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back – Andrew Zolli and Anne Marie Healey
Zolli and Healey help readers reframe their ideas of resilience and demonstrate that much of bouncing back has to do with your perspective on your situation. They observe resilience in the natural world and compare what makes one more resilient than the other. They also take examples from urban planning, social development, and even national energy security.
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption – Lauren Hillenbrand
This story focuses on the life of Louie Zamperini, a man who, after experiencing unimaginable trauma in his earlier years, went from being a juvenile delinquent to an Olympian, to a hero. Room – Emma Donoghue
Room is about a boy named Jack who has been secluded in a room with his mother for seven years, but as the story unfolds, we see that there’s hope for them yet.
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear – Elizabeth Gilbert
The book’s author, Gilbert, takes the opportunity to teach the reader that our own creativity is our best weapon against anything that life has to throw at us. She encourages readers to use creativity to let go and move on from painful occurrences.
The Yes Brain: How to Cultivate Courage, Curiosity, and Resilience in Your Child – Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
This book focuses on building resilience as a helpful skill in children, with advice on pushing them out of their comfort zone, and teaching them to break out of negative thinking and behaviors.
Freedom From Anxious Thoughts and Feelings: A Two-Step Mindfulness Approach for Moving Beyond Fear and Worry—Scott Symington, PhD
Dr. Symington has created a practical approach to managing anxiety symptoms by utilizing mindfulness, loving action, and healthy distractions. As well as his popular “two-screen method” to help anxious thoughts from developing.
Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela,—Nelson Mandela
Written by the great Nelson Mandela, he’s known for fighting against racial oppression in his home of South Africa and was imprisoned for 25 years for alleged treason. This courageous political leader has much to tell us about how struggle and pain can be overcome by hope.
Everything Is F*cked: A Book About Hope—Mark Manson
On the subject of hope, Manson takes readers on a journey to the past to discover why it is that in modern times, we technically have it better than ever—less poverty, more education, etc. Still, we’re somehow more depressed and more anxious than ever before. And afterward, he makes a strong case for cutting people out of your life in order for you to focus on what makes you happy.
Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead—Brené Brown, PhD
Dr. Brown is a successful speaker and researcher, her career taking off after her successful and vulnerable TED talk. In this book, she examines resilience in veterans, CEOs, teachers, and parents and finds that the one thing they all have in common when it comes to resilience is spirituality.
Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence—Rick Hanson, PhD
As the name states, sometimes resilience is all about rewiring your brain to find the silver lining in adverse situations. Hanson himself was inspired by his personal experience with melanoma, a condition he suffered from and hid brother passed way from, and the newfound compassion it gave him for those suffering with illness.
The Art of Dying Well: A Practical Guide to a Good End of Life—Katy Butler
This book artfully guides readers who are nearing the end of their lives or are simply curious about death on how to make the most out of their remaining time on earth. She teaches readers everything from finding a good medical advocate, enrolling in insurance, and taking on the emotional side of dying.
Beauty in the Broken Places: A Memoir of Love, Faith, and Resilience—Allison Pataki
After suffering a near-fatal stroke on vacation, Pataki’s husband suddenly had no memory of their life together, leaving a then 5-month pregnant Pataki to care for him. This book is their story told through countless love letters the author wrote to her husband to one day help him remember their history. Brutally honest, this story offers valuable insights into how powerful resilience is.
Marie Miguel Biography
Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.
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