How do people face challenging events that impact, and sometimes change, their lives? Adversity is ordinary, not extraordinary. Most of us at some point will experience a major trauma: the death of a loved one, debilitating illness, loss of a job, a natural disaster, or other traumatic events. It is estimated that up to 90 percent of us will experience at least one serious traumatic event during our lifetime [1]. The ability to cope, respond to change, and return to a degree of normal functioning following a crisis is known as resilience [2]; this process may have not only a genetic basis and neurobiological substrate, but also factors and actions that can be learned and developed [3]. As physicians and healthcare providers, we can make a difference by better understanding the coping mechanisms proven to be effective at enhancing resilience and its role in fostering wellness. With a better understanding of the process, we can develop interventions suggesting how patients can incorporate the best behaviors in their lives.

Work–life balance facilitates positive affect, happiness, and satisfaction [1–4]; absence of it contributes to depression and anxiety [1]. However, achieving a “balance” is easier said than done. Strategies to increase positive affect, happiness, and quality of life have often been simplistic.

For example, some suggestions to enhance work–life balance include “learn to say no if you are too busy,” “practice self-care,” “don’t take work home with you,” “make time for friends and family outside of work,” and “reduce work email and work phone access” [5]. In contrast, our chapter focuses on how to increase well-being. Well-being and positive affect are well described in the positive psychology literature [6, 7].