Life is a name of blunders and surprises, happiness and pain, loss and gain and so on. So, some people deteriorate their lives after something terrible happens to them by focusing on negative aspects of life, crying and cribbing all the time. In this situation, people do not even want to look at other opportunities to return to everyday life by seeing the positives. On the other hand, some people rise unexpectedly in their lives, they get back to life as if reincarnation happened to them, in Positive Psychology, this phenomenon is term as “Post Traumatic Growth”.
What is Post Traumatic Growth?
In simpler terms, when extreme negativity causes radical changes and a new outlook towards life with the highest personal strength in an optimistic manner, it is stated to be Post-Traumatic Growth. It is a positive state displayed by the ones who have endured and risen beyond traumatic events with more vigorous strength & courage than ever to facilitate their lives. Some areas where post-traumatic growth occurs are personal growth, mental growth, social growth and spiritual growth.
Traits that Lead to Post-Traumatic Growth:
The following are some traits through which an individual, unlike those who develop trauma and stress, achieves Post Traumatic Growth
1) Resilience:
A person can adapt well to adversities & traumas and bounce back with more strength; resilient people can handle problematic situations relatively calmly and make proper decisions to get through those problems with a clear vision. Traumatic growth is also achieved by individuals capable of overcoming the odds by staying resilient. But it does not necessarily happen that every resilient individual will experience Post-traumatic Growth; it’s just a strong trait seen in people who achieve Post Traumatic Growth.
2) Striving & Thriving:
Striving refers to aspirations and desire as well as potential and endeavour to reach the best version of oneself. It is the way a person tries harder to reach excellence. Whereas to thrive means to grow and flourish prosperously, it is a broader term with a more significant positive value and enlightened word to survive strongly. These two traits have been seen commonly in people who attained Post-traumatic growth. A person who experienced Post-traumatic growth thrives on growing at an unrestricted rate & emerges as the best version of them.
3) Acceptance:
It is one of the most positive human virtues. It means accepting things the way they are. In contrast, non-acceptance leads to suffering, pain & impatience, which ultimately leads to negativity and pessimism. A person who has achieved Post-traumatic Growth can be able to accept the situation & let go of the pain while being realistic and rational.
4) Compassion:
Being Compassionate means being more kind and gentle towards the world and to oneself despite all the failures and mistakes one has made. Usually, the individual becomes more compassionate (both towards the world and self) when they have seen the worst in their life. Post-traumatic Growth is not only positive for the individual who has attained it; but also for society as it helps enhance the quality of social life of a person if they are compassionate and gentle to the world.
5) Hope:
It is a state of mind that enables a person to look for a positive outcome in upcoming times. In human life, hope helps an individual to take one more breath during even the most challenging situation; it’s like an anchor that helps the individual to hold on and fight back for the best. Hope acts as fuel to mankind, which helps to light the desire to live one more day with more enthusiasm. Persons who experienced Post-traumatic growth become truly hopeful about life. They consider life the most significant opportunity besides all the odds they face—the flower of hope blooms in their psyche and behaviour.
6) Optimism:
It is a form of Positive thinking, which makes an individual think only of the positive side of life & always bring forth their attention only towards what is suitable for their life. At the same time, they focus on maintaining creativity and productivity, which facilitates them to move towards their set goals. For them, pessimism and negativity are of no value. They ‘Trust the Process’ of becoming more robust and better individuals & honestly believe that everything good or bad happening to them will ultimately be good. They consider all the odds and evens essential to becoming their best versions.
7) Worth & Purpose:
Humans generally desire to grow more when they find their purpose in life and consider themselves worthy individuals. People who have experienced Post-traumatic Growth attain a positive vision, consider themselves worthy enough and have a great sense of purpose. They strive for excellence in their lives to make it more meaningful with each passing day.
8) Self-Concept:
Post-traumatic enables a person to enhance and flourish their overall concept of ‘self’. The concept of self includes knowledge about oneself, self-efficacy, self-esteem, belief system, self-evaluation, self-confidence, self-control and self-regulation, through which a person regulates one’s emotions and behaviours more positively.
9) Perseverance & Competence:
It is a quality to aspire to do something greater even after facing the most significant failure or loss. It is the desire to achieve the best despite hindrances and difficulties. This trait is also firmly embedded in the general behaviour of people with post-traumatic growth. Another critical component is competence which goes hand in hand with perseverance. It is the need, drive or desire to be successful or to improve oneself constantly. Competence is the capability of a person to use their existing knowledge & experience to meet the optimal functioning of work. People who have achieved Post-traumatic Growth become very competent towards every area of their lives.
10) Spirituality, Virtues & Character Strength:
People with Post Traumatic Growth understand the meaning of their lives. They become more inclined towards spirituality and oneness to spiritual energy. They tend to possess more excellent virtues and an optimal level of character strength. Virtues and character strength are human ideals that every human being should acquire. These people who experience Post-traumatic Growth become more connected to true human nature, universal energy, and divinity.
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