The old adage that what doesn\u2019t kill you makes you stronger is a nice sentiment. Yet it’s been often proven false. Some people don’t rise stronger from adversity. Many are left stuck in blame or self-pity, unable to move on they live under a cloud of fear, hurt, self-pity or a low-level, lingering malaise with life. Their mental and emotional wellbeing never recovers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet adversity \u2013 whether in the form of a one-off traumatic event or a prolonged period of struggle (such as one might experience in a protracted pandemic!) is not an exclusively negative experience for all people. In fact, it can be a powerful catalyst for deeply positive personal transformation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Enter \u2018posttraumatic growth.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The term posttraumatic growth (PTG) was first coined by psychologists Lawrence Calhoun and Richard Tedeschi<\/a> in the 1990s to describe the phenomena whereby people emerge stronger in the aftermath of trauma. Considered to be both a process and<\/em> an outcome, PTG is not the opposite of stress or absence of struggle, but can be experienced alongside it. To quote a common coaching maxim, breakdowns precede breakthroughs. The larger the breakdown, the more transformative the potential breakthrough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Underscore \u2018potential\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the realm of posttraumatic growth, the benefits of potential breakthroughs include an enhanced experience of life. Not just getting \u2018back to normal\u2019 but bouncing forward to a whole new level of wellbeing that surpasses any previous \u2018normal.\u2019 For instance, stronger self-esteem, deeper relationships, a greater appreciation of \u2018the little things\u2019 and of life itself. It also includes an expanded confidence for meeting future challenges\u2026. \u201cIf I handled that, I can handle anything.\u201d <\/em>As my freshman college son Ben, who graduated high school in our living room<\/a> last June recently said to me, \u201cIt takes a lot more to stress me out these days.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s impossible to predict what post-pandemic growth each of us might experience when we can finally put this pandemic squarely behind us. Yet there\u2019s reason to be confident that many, like Ben, will experience some. After the 2002-2003 SARS epidemic, 60% of Hong Kong residents reported enjoying stronger family relationships and a third felt better able to express themselves more authentically in all areas of their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To facilitate your own \u2018post-pandemic growth\u2019 – so you don\u2019t just \u2018bounce back\u2019 but \u2018bounce forward\u2019 to thrive on a new level – here are a few strategies you can practice. As you do, keep in mind, kites don’t rise with the wind, but against it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Embrace the hard moments… you cannot thrive without them<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Kintsugi is the ancient Japanese art of fixing cracked pottery or ceramic. Rather than hide the cracks, the broken pieces are rejoined with lacquer mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. When restored, the piece holds a new unique beauty, not despite its past \u2018breakdown\u2019 but because<\/em> of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To move forward from this challenging time, we must embrace our own breakdowns for the opportunities they’ve held for us to grow, to learn and to experience life on a higher plane – individually, and collectively in our families, communities, organizations and society at large. This includes our often-underestimated capacities for agility, resiliency, ingenuity, and growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n