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Why Some People Handle Stress Better Than Others, According to Experts

Resilience can be shaped over time, and experts say the way we adapt to stress and setbacks isn’t determined entirely by personality.

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During times of heightened stress or crisis, many of us lean on our resilience, or our ability to recover from and adapt to setbacks or traumatic situations. But is resilience something we can learn and develop over time, or are some of us doomed by our own vulnerabilities?

The Case for Resilience

Many people consider resilience an inherent trait that you either have or don’t have. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, some people don’t realize how resilient they are until they have no choice but to adapt and cope with stressful hardships and challenges.

“Resilience itself is often discussed as an individual trait, but it is actually influenced by internal [factors] (epigenetics, mental and physical health, personality traits, adaptive information, etc.) and also a tremendous amount of external factors (early childhood experiences, attachment, social identities, resources, etc,” says ShaQuan Read, LMHC, of ShaQuan Read........

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