人生中难免会遇到各种磕磕绊绊，然而，身处逆境时能够从容应对十分重要。如何衡量一个人的适应力？怎样可以更好地面对挫折？

We've all heard of IQ, and terms like EQ, which relates to your emotional intelligence, are commonly used. But have you heard of AQ? AQ stands for adversity quotient and measures your ability to deal with the ups and downs of life. Being able to handle these rough patches we all go through is not only important in our personal lives but in our professional lives too. So how can we learn to be more resilient?

Adverse situations can take us by surprise and shock us. In the workplace, it could be in the form of redundancies, the company we work for going under or being restructured, or even missing out on a promotion. Failed friendships and relationships, financial hard times and even bereavements are things that can occur outside of work. AQ measures our ability to withstand the shocks when life throws curveballs at us – how likely we are to crumble or thrive in these situations. It can be used to predict our attitudes, perseverance, longevity, and the way we learn from changes in environment. In short, our resilience when there is a drastic change.

Luckily, there are some steps you can take to help you be more resilient and adaptable in the face of adversity, according to Dr Shahram Heshmat, professor of health economics at the University of Illinois. First, try and find a meaningful goal. Resilient people often have an aim and are able to concentrate more on a desired outcome, seeing negative situations as a bump in the road on the way to achieving their goal. Learning to relax and regulate your emotions is another key step – one way to help you destress is by practising breathing exercises. Likewise, dwelling on things and letting them get to you can cause you to be stressed. See difficulties more as an opportunity to learn and grow emotionally. Finally, make sure you have a good social support network. Being able to talk with someone about the challenges we face can help.

Things happen in life we can't prevent – and sometimes they aren't pleasant. But, taking a few steps to be more resilient can make them a little easier to get through.