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Resilience: Teach Yourself How to Survive and Thrive in any Situation
Resilience: How to Thrive and Survive in Any Situation helps you to prepare for adversity by finding healthier ways of responding to stressful thoughts and feelings. You will learn a comprehensive toolkit of effective therapeutic strategies and techniques, drawing upon innovative 'mindfulness and acceptance-based' approaches to cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), combined with elements of established psychological approaches to stress prevention and management. The book also draws upon classical Stoic philosophy to provide a wider context for resilience-building. This book is a complete course in resilience training, covering everything from building long-term resilience by developing psychological flexibility, mindfulness and valued action, through specific behavioural skills such as applied relaxation, worry postponement, problem-solving, and assertiveness. Each chapter contains a self-assessment test, case study, practical exercises and reminder boxes and concludes with a reminder of the key points of the chapter (Focus Points) and a round-up of what to expect in the next (Next Step), which will whet your appetite for what's coming and how it relates to what you've just read.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 25, 2012
110 people are currently reading
734 people want to read
About the author
Donald J. Robertson
12 books1,196 followersDonald J. Robertson is the author of seven books including "How to Think Like a Roman Emperor"; the graphic novel "Verissimus", about the life and philosophy of Marcus Aurelius; a philosophical biography, "Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor"; and "How to Think Like Socrates", a guide to applying Socratic wisdom to modern life, based on the story of his life.
Donald is a cognitive-behavioural psychotherapist, writer, and trainer, specializing in the relationship between ancient philosophy and modern self-improvement psychology. Donald is known for his work on Stoicism and evidence-based psychotherapy. He was born in Ayr, Scotland, but now lives in Quebec and Greece.
Donald is a cognitive-behavioural psychotherapist, writer, and trainer, specializing in the relationship between ancient philosophy and modern self-improvement psychology. Donald is known for his work on Stoicism and evidence-based psychotherapy. He was born in Ayr, Scotland, but now lives in Quebec and Greece.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 5, 2012
Donald Robertson (2012) ‘Resilience: Teach Yourself How to Survive and Thrive in Any Situation’ Hodder Education (Paperback)
I was thumbing through Epictetus’ ‘The Art of Living – the classic manual on virtue, happiness and effectiveness’ interpreted by Sharon Lebell at the same time as reading this book. Epictetus’ writings in the first century Roman Empire, a founder of Stoicism, are considered by some to be a primer for living the best possible life.
Centuries later, Stoicism is a foundation for the new behaviour therapies, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, (ACT), the third wave of behaviour therapies.
Robertson’s book rests on the assumptions of ACT. What makes the book different to many self-help books is that ‘Resilience..’ does not attempt to mend a specific problem, but instead aims to serve a higher function by ‘improving resilience to both current and future adversities…enhancing positive qualities like psychological flexibility, social skills and problem solving ability’.
The Behaviourists assert that sometimes we need more than talking about our problems in order to change. I might add here that we need more than reading about our problems. We may need to recognise the difference between where we are and where we want to be and how we can go about getting there.
Robertson makes a clear point that it is not enough to read this book if you want things to be different or better – insight is not enough to create change, you will actually have to do the work! Having made his position clear, he then presents an evidence based self-help approach, fully referenced.
Building self-acceptance is a key theme in the book. Robertson points out, for example, that ‘having a history of mental health problems statistically (is) quite normal. Depression and anxiety appear to be part of the human condition’. Now there is a revelation in itself. What he means by self-acceptance is an acceptance that we can, and do, all have unpleasant feelings and thoughts. We tend to avoid these, or try to pretend they don’t exist. However, ACT proposes that the best way to ‘control’ our thoughts and feelings may be to accept them and allow them to come and go naturally.
ACT differs from CBT in that CBT aims to help us be aware of our thoughts and, challenge their reality. ACT suggests that we have thoughts, they exist, they may or may not be true and we don’t have to pay attention to them or act on them. ACT, says Robertson, views thoughts as the ‘automatic flotsam and jetsam of our mind, thrown up by our personal history rather than anything particularly meaningful that we have chosen to think’.
Robertson, with many years clinical and teaching experience, goes on to present a process for the reader to help us clarify our own personal values and goals, and then to commit to living the life that we value, dealing with barriers along the way. The aim, he proposes, is to pay more attention to the quality of our journey than to our destination
Robertson gives practical advice, and shows the reader a variety of useful exercises such as mindfulness exercises, progressive relaxation and assertiveness skills.
This book contains a lot of information. This will not be news to anyone who has read Robertson’s previous work, or attended his training courses. I felt as if I could read almost any paragraph in the book and spend a week reflecting on it. To gain most from this book, I think the reader needs to take it slowly, absorb the information, work with it, and be prepared to return to it again and again.
For this reason the book might not suit everyone. Those who need positive strokes from a self-help book will find this hard going. But then, perhaps that is what Stoicism is all about. And, by Robertson honouring his reader with an intelligent and enquiring mind, he may provide just too much detail for some. But, for the rest of his readership, he has created a well-researched yet down to earth approach, somewhere between a text book and a self-help book that basically states, if you want something, work at it, and here is how to do it.
As well as being a therapist in private practice, I am a tutor of psychotherapy. Under the banner of self-help, this book is also a good reference volume for therapists and students. As value for money, this little book is 270 pages stuffed with information, research, examples, advice and exercises based on the most current therapeutic understanding. A modern day manual for living.
I was thumbing through Epictetus’ ‘The Art of Living – the classic manual on virtue, happiness and effectiveness’ interpreted by Sharon Lebell at the same time as reading this book. Epictetus’ writings in the first century Roman Empire, a founder of Stoicism, are considered by some to be a primer for living the best possible life.
Centuries later, Stoicism is a foundation for the new behaviour therapies, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, (ACT), the third wave of behaviour therapies.
Robertson’s book rests on the assumptions of ACT. What makes the book different to many self-help books is that ‘Resilience..’ does not attempt to mend a specific problem, but instead aims to serve a higher function by ‘improving resilience to both current and future adversities…enhancing positive qualities like psychological flexibility, social skills and problem solving ability’.
The Behaviourists assert that sometimes we need more than talking about our problems in order to change. I might add here that we need more than reading about our problems. We may need to recognise the difference between where we are and where we want to be and how we can go about getting there.
Robertson makes a clear point that it is not enough to read this book if you want things to be different or better – insight is not enough to create change, you will actually have to do the work! Having made his position clear, he then presents an evidence based self-help approach, fully referenced.
Building self-acceptance is a key theme in the book. Robertson points out, for example, that ‘having a history of mental health problems statistically (is) quite normal. Depression and anxiety appear to be part of the human condition’. Now there is a revelation in itself. What he means by self-acceptance is an acceptance that we can, and do, all have unpleasant feelings and thoughts. We tend to avoid these, or try to pretend they don’t exist. However, ACT proposes that the best way to ‘control’ our thoughts and feelings may be to accept them and allow them to come and go naturally.
ACT differs from CBT in that CBT aims to help us be aware of our thoughts and, challenge their reality. ACT suggests that we have thoughts, they exist, they may or may not be true and we don’t have to pay attention to them or act on them. ACT, says Robertson, views thoughts as the ‘automatic flotsam and jetsam of our mind, thrown up by our personal history rather than anything particularly meaningful that we have chosen to think’.
Robertson, with many years clinical and teaching experience, goes on to present a process for the reader to help us clarify our own personal values and goals, and then to commit to living the life that we value, dealing with barriers along the way. The aim, he proposes, is to pay more attention to the quality of our journey than to our destination
Robertson gives practical advice, and shows the reader a variety of useful exercises such as mindfulness exercises, progressive relaxation and assertiveness skills.
This book contains a lot of information. This will not be news to anyone who has read Robertson’s previous work, or attended his training courses. I felt as if I could read almost any paragraph in the book and spend a week reflecting on it. To gain most from this book, I think the reader needs to take it slowly, absorb the information, work with it, and be prepared to return to it again and again.
For this reason the book might not suit everyone. Those who need positive strokes from a self-help book will find this hard going. But then, perhaps that is what Stoicism is all about. And, by Robertson honouring his reader with an intelligent and enquiring mind, he may provide just too much detail for some. But, for the rest of his readership, he has created a well-researched yet down to earth approach, somewhere between a text book and a self-help book that basically states, if you want something, work at it, and here is how to do it.
As well as being a therapist in private practice, I am a tutor of psychotherapy. Under the banner of self-help, this book is also a good reference volume for therapists and students. As value for money, this little book is 270 pages stuffed with information, research, examples, advice and exercises based on the most current therapeutic understanding. A modern day manual for living.
November 28, 2012
Thrive and Survive In Any Situation
A review of ‘Build Your Resilience’ by Donald Robertson
There are a number of self help books and programs designed to build and maintain resilience. Donald Robertson's 'Build Your Resilience' draws upon established resilience training programs but is perhaps the first to also offer a powerful toolkit of therapeutic techniques and strategies from ancient stoic philosophy right the way though to the cutting edge new wave cognitive behavioural therapies of acceptance and commitment and mindfulness meditation. If you think this sounds dry and overly academic think again.I found the book to be practical and action orientated. It starts with a thorough explanation of resilience then goes on to teach the reader how to build and maintain it.Early on in the book Robertson emphasises that resilience does not mean completely eliminating anxiety, stress, worry or any of the other common emotional problems that we all experience at some point in our lives. In fact struggling to control unpleasant thoughts and feelings can backfire. Most resilient people will experience strong emotions but cope well with them. Build your resilience will teach the rest of us how to accept unpleasant thoughts and strong emotions while moving on with healthy goals and personal values.
The book also covers ..
*Progressive and applied relaxation
*Worry postponement
*Problem-solving training
*Assertiveness and social skills
*Stoic philosophy and resilience.
The book will appeal to the general reader as well as to therapists and coaches who may wish to recommend it to there clients.
We all have some resilience or at least the potential for resilience. This book teaches the reader how to put that into practice. I highly recommend it.
Michael Cohen author of
Identifying,understanding and solutions to stress
The power of accepting yourself
A review of ‘Build Your Resilience’ by Donald Robertson
There are a number of self help books and programs designed to build and maintain resilience. Donald Robertson's 'Build Your Resilience' draws upon established resilience training programs but is perhaps the first to also offer a powerful toolkit of therapeutic techniques and strategies from ancient stoic philosophy right the way though to the cutting edge new wave cognitive behavioural therapies of acceptance and commitment and mindfulness meditation. If you think this sounds dry and overly academic think again.I found the book to be practical and action orientated. It starts with a thorough explanation of resilience then goes on to teach the reader how to build and maintain it.Early on in the book Robertson emphasises that resilience does not mean completely eliminating anxiety, stress, worry or any of the other common emotional problems that we all experience at some point in our lives. In fact struggling to control unpleasant thoughts and feelings can backfire. Most resilient people will experience strong emotions but cope well with them. Build your resilience will teach the rest of us how to accept unpleasant thoughts and strong emotions while moving on with healthy goals and personal values.
The book also covers ..
*Progressive and applied relaxation
*Worry postponement
*Problem-solving training
*Assertiveness and social skills
*Stoic philosophy and resilience.
The book will appeal to the general reader as well as to therapists and coaches who may wish to recommend it to there clients.
We all have some resilience or at least the potential for resilience. This book teaches the reader how to put that into practice. I highly recommend it.
Michael Cohen author of
Identifying,understanding and solutions to stress
The power of accepting yourself
April 7, 2023
I knew a lot before, but I enjoy the authors point of view as a therapist and philosopher
January 5, 2019
At times, it feels more like instruction manual for therapists rather than a self-improvement book, and this may be hard to follow for some. However, it contains real practical gems to apply in real life situations.
July 21, 2014
I was hoping to get more out of this book (which has since been retitled Build Your Resilience) than I did. It's just that I've read enough self-help books throughout the years that, to be honest, everything in this book has been said before, and frankly said better, by other people.
Robertson's biggest flaw is that he writes like an academic addressing other academics, and his work is a slog to slog through unless you're used to that mode of address. Much of his work about values clarification and commitment to action are dense retellings of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, or a complicated redressing of Morita Therapy. Other parts of the book are equally tangled versions of Buddhism Without Belief or A Guide To The Good Life, both of which I would recommend before this book.
Robertson's biggest flaw is that he writes like an academic addressing other academics, and his work is a slog to slog through unless you're used to that mode of address. Much of his work about values clarification and commitment to action are dense retellings of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, or a complicated redressing of Morita Therapy. Other parts of the book are equally tangled versions of Buddhism Without Belief or A Guide To The Good Life, both of which I would recommend before this book.
April 10, 2019
Since I am a*practicing* stoic, I found the book contains some very helpful exersizes. The writer compared something called ART to many of the stoic
Practices. In a later book he compared stoic thought to CBT. I think it is interesting that even modem behavioral therapy are based in Stoicism. I enjoyed the read.
Practices. In a later book he compared stoic thought to CBT. I think it is interesting that even modem behavioral therapy are based in Stoicism. I enjoyed the read.
April 23, 2019
Very dense. A lot to chew on.
December 13, 2022
Deus, me conceda serenidade para aceitar as coisas que não posso mudar, coragem para mudar as coisas que posso e serenidade para saber diferença.
November 19, 2012
The title of this book appealed to me as I've had a difficult year this year and found life generally hard to cope with. The first few pages of this book were captivating. As I read more I've found myself agreeing with some of the examples set and the practical information has really helped me to feel stronger. I understand now that I don't have to change who I am. I just have to be comfortable with who I am. The book's not just about me though. It'll help me to be resilient when coping with some other family issues that keep copping up from time to time.
March 16, 2014
I do not have much regard for the psychology profession, but I am interested in Stoicism and decided to give the book a go. I was pleasantly surprised and do not regret to have picked it up. The ideas are interesting and the exercises worth taking up, but it makes sense to concentrate on a few. It is not a book for deep intellectual insights, but a psychology self-help book with a coherent intellectual framework in the background, and as such, the only one I have read so far that I do not regret spending time on.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews