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Bounce Forward Development Cycle

Psychological fitness combines mental resilience and emotional wellbeing – key attributesneeded for success in the 21st century.

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Bounce Forward Development Cycle

Psychological fitness combines mental resilience and emotional wellbeing – key attributes needed for success in the 21st century.

Learn More about our theory of personal development

1. Psychological Skills

Practical, teachable and measurable skills. They help us get the best outcomes from everyday situations.

2. Tools for Living - Competencies

Strategies and habits that develop, overtime from using the skills.

3. Capacities for Mental Resilience

Protective factors, grounded in evidence.*

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Psychological Skills

Practical, teachable and measurable. They help us get the best outcomes from everyday situations. The more we use them, the more we master them.

  • Understanding emotions.
  • The skill of identifying if emotions are helpful or unhelpful.
  • Learning techniques to harness helpful and unhelpful emotions.
  • The link between thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
  • Practising slowing situations down to understand the thoughts that are leading to responses. 
  • Understanding the habits (Gremlins) in our thinking. 
  • Recognising that habits (Gremlins) can get in the way of realistic and accurate thinking. 
  • Learning how to create alternatives that are realistic.
  • Understanding that optimism is a choice and wedded to reality. 
  • Managing  catastrophic thinking.
  • Learning to keep perspective.
  • Understanding that first we need to calm down and harness emotions. 
  • Creating new understanding of old problems.
  • Identifying new ways of moving forward.
  • Learning to avoid the confirmation bias and negativity bias.
  • Changing our habits (Gremlins) over time. 
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  • Being able to apply the skills in realtime.
  • Mastering using the skills in relevant and everyday situations. 
  • Responding effectively right there and then. 
  • Understanding that value-based beliefs can effect what we believe to be true about a situation.
  • Identifying when Big Sticky Beliefs are in play and how they can influence us. 
  • Knowing how to modify Big Sticky Beliefs that are getting in the way. 
  • Identifying strengths in ourselves and others.
  • Making the most of our strengths and recognising how they can help and hinder.

Tools for Living - Competencies

Strategies and habits developed from using the skills. These are the behaviours that get embedded in our response to the world around us.

  • Open and curious to different perspectives, looking for evidence to problem solve effectively, wedded to reality.
  • Connected to others, willingness to reach out, have empathy and care for others knowing that will increase personal happiness.
  • The belief that the realistic goal can be met, thinking optimistically, focused and upbeat.
  • Understanding the impact and range of emotions we can feel.
  • Impulse control, calm and focused.
  • Understanding of self, knowing what is ‘normal’ or usual for me. Being kind and having compassion for self and others.

Capacities for Mental Resilience

Protective factors, grounded in evidence.*

*Based on meta-analysis, systematic, comprehensive and as unbiased as possible.

  • Self-efficacy and positive self perceptions
  • Strong attentional skills
  • Good sense of humour
  • Sense of purpose and belonging
  • Valued talents
  • Strong cognitive abilities
  • Optimism
  • Effective problem solving
  • Self-regulation and impulse control
  • As individuals strengthen their psychological capacities, they create protective factors and lead to effective outcomes, enabling the individual to be the best version of themselves and thrive.

Summary

Each element is connected and strengthens the development cycle. The more we use the skills, the
more we recognise that we are competent and effective in the face of challenge. This is where the
magic ignites, and we make the most of opportunities and be the best version of ourselves in a lasting and authentic way.

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The Role of Positive Emotions

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