Protective Factors (the things that help us)

A good question that we might ask ourselves and reflect on is something like, “What positive characteristics and strengths have developed in me that might not have developed if I’d had an easier life journey?” Researchers have identified certain qualities and factors that are known to help people ‘bounce back’. These are called protective factors. We all have our own personal or protective factors and it’s helpful to identify our particular patterns of bouncing back. Nan Henderson in “The Resiliency Workbook”[i] has identified quite a number of personal resiliency factors. No one has all of these characteristics, but we all have some of them. (The following list is not extensive)

They include the following:

Spirituality – personal faith
Relationships – being social, and able to be a friend
Service/Helpfulness
Life Skills – these might include good decision making, problem solving, impulse control, assertiveness etc.
Humour – Has a good sense of humour, and able to laugh at difficult situations
Inner Direction – bases choices/decisions on internal evaluation
Perceptiveness – Insightful understanding of people and situations.
Independence – able to go your own way when you know it’s the right way for you.
Positive View (Optimistic) of personal future.
Flexibility – Can adjust to change and cope with situations
Love of Learning
Self-motivation
Competence – Is good at ‘something’
Self-worth – feelings of self-worth and self-confidence.
Perseverance – Keeps on despite facing difficulty
Creativity.

Further questions we might ask ourselves and reflect on: