In their 20 years of treating and studying trauma survivors, Drs. Dennis Charney and Steven Southwick have identified ten common practices in people who have shown resilience in the face of extreme stress.

• Maintaining an optimistic but realistic outlook
• Facing fear (ability to confront one’s fears)
• Reliance upon own inner, moral compass
• Turning to religious or spiritual practices
• Seeking and accepting social support
• Imitation of sturdy role models
• Staying physically fit
• Staying mentally sharp
• Cognitive and emotional flexibility (finding a way to accept that which cannot be changed)
• Looking for meaning and opportunity in the midst of adversity

Read an article on Dr. Charney from The Quarterly, Winter, 2013: A Prescription for Resilience: World Expert Helps Explain What Can Make Us Stronger in the Face of Adversity.

Dr. Charney also presented a Meet the Scientist Webinar: Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life's Greatest Challenges.