Insights by Kathy Richardson, Assistant Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling

As the new year begins, many people look for ways to strengthen their mental well-being and prepare for whatever lies ahead. For Kathy Richardson, Assistant Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Lebanon Valley College, the concept of resilience offers a powerful framework for understanding how individuals and communities grow through adversity.

Richardson views resilience as a combination of traits and skills that allow people to recover, adapt, and even emerge stronger after hardship. It incorporates mental toughness, grit, flexibility, and adaptability—qualities that empower individuals to withstand life’s challenges, whether those challenges occur on a personal scale or ripple across entire communities. While individuals might draw upon resilience to navigate health issues, relationship changes, or daily stressors, communities rely on resilience to withstand disasters, political conflict, or economic instability. In both cases, the strength comes not only from within but from the supportive ties that connect people to one another.

Recent years have revealed the profound connection between resilience and mental health. Difficult experiences such as disasters, trauma, prolonged stress, and major societal upheaval inevitably take a toll on emotional well-being. Resilience is not solely a physical trait; emotional and cognitive components are equally important. When people face adversity, their mental flexibility becomes a crucial tool, enabling them to adapt to shifting circumstances and meet new demands. Without this ability to shift perspective, regulate emotions, or reframe challenges, individuals are more likely to develop disorders such as anxiety or depression.

A persistent myth Richardson hopes people will release in the new year is the idea that resilience is simply a matter of positive thinking or “pushing through” tough times. This misconception—often labeled toxic positivity—suggests that people should suppress or ignore difficult emotions in favor of constant happiness. Yet emotions like anger, sadness, or fear play essential roles in healthy mental functioning. They alert individuals to danger, signal unmet needs, and help people process meaningful experiences. True resilience requires working through these emotions, not dismissing them or pretending they don’t exist.

Connection and community support are among the strongest predictors of resilience. Humans are wired for social connection, and research consistently shows that isolation and loneliness increase the risk of mental health struggles. A sense of belonging and the presence of reliable relationships help people manage stress more effectively. Richardson encourages individuals to reflect on the kind of community members they want to be—supportive, present, and dependable—because the relationships people cultivate often determine the strength of the support systems they can rely upon. For those who feel disconnected, she suggests that intentionally building community can be one of the most meaningful goals of the new year.

As people look back on the past several years—including the global COVID-19 pandemic, political turbulence, and economic uncertainty—many may not realize just how much resilience they have already demonstrated. Nearly everyone experienced significant changes, disruptions, or losses during this period. Yet people also adapted: developing coping strategies, rethinking priorities, and discovering new strengths. These moments of growth serve as powerful reminders that individuals have the tools to manage future adversity. Recognizing this history of resilience can help people move into 2025 with confidence and an appreciation for their own capacity to handle difficult circumstances.

Looking ahead, Richardson hopes people redefine what it means to pursue mental health. “Being mentally healthy does not mean only feeling positive emotions or being happy all of the time,” she says. Mental health includes the full spectrum of human emotions—joy and excitement, but also frustration, grief, anger, and fear. Understanding that each emotion has both healthy and unhealthy expressions allows individuals to give themselves permission to feel what they feel, knowing that emotions are temporary and meaningful. This mindset lays the foundation for true resilience, helping people approach the new year with openness, authenticity, and self-compassion.