Diving straight into a much loved topic at the School and a much needed vitamin! Vitamin Resilience!
So, how do you handle life’s curveballs? The insults, the social media snubs, the awkward moments with your partner, the crushing feeling of not getting what you want (whether it’s the partner, the job, the house, the body, or the holiday)? Or the creeping dread of what might happen: exams you might fail, a health scare spiralling out of control, or, in a worst-case scenario, adopting 23 cats because everything falls apart.
But how does this tie into resilience? First, let’s explode some myths. Resilience is not about being some titanium, unbreakable superhero, impervious to stress. It’s not about having the toughness of an MMA fighter mixed with a terrier's tenacity, or being cold, emotionless, and impenetrable (a stiff upper lip only gets you so far, right?).
Psychologically, resilience is the ability to adapt to adversity, trauma, and stress. This translates into being able to bounce back, and maybe even bounce back better. Imagine a mighty oak tree or a quirky baobab tree (the one that looks like it’s been plopped upside down). These trees have survived centuries—some have lived over 1000 years and outlived generations of kings, queens, and prime ministers, all while enduring wind, storms, droughts, and pests.
Their secret? They adapt. They don’t just bounce back from challenges; they grow stronger and wiser because of them.
Resilience is a dynamic process, influenced by personal traits, social support, and the environment. It is dynamic, because we all live in a single moment to the next single moment.
Let’s consider rumination. Ruminating, from a psychological perspective, refers to the repetitive and passive focus on distressing thoughts, typically about past experiences, mistakes, or future concerns. It is often characterised by an inability to shift focus or stop thinking about these troubling issues, which can exacerbate emotional distress and contribute to mental health problems. In a way you could think about a bump on your skin, and you just cannot resist scratching at it, even though you know it’s just not good for you. Ruminating is commonly associated with anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders.
Here are some of the key characteristics of rumination:
1. Repetitive thought patterns: Rumination involves thinking the same thoughts over and over again without resolution. These thoughts are typically negative, focusing on perceived failures, mistakes, or fears.
2. Difficulty shifting attention: People who ruminate struggle to divert their attention away from these negative thoughts, even if they recognise that the thoughts are unproductive or harmful. Ever experienced a really painful event such as loss or betrayal and you just cannot stop turning it over in your head?
3. Self-focus: Ruminative thoughts often revolve around self-criticism, self-blame, and negative self-evaluation, particularly in relation to past events. Do you recognise how forgiving we can be to others, and yet only display belligerence and contempt for ourselves?
4. Emotional dysregulation: Rumination tends to amplify negative emotions like sadness, guilt, anger, or anxiety. Rather than resolving distress, it intensifies it by continually reinforcing the negative feelings.
The theoretical framework for rumination is often explained within the context of cognitive theory, which posits that individuals with negative thought patterns may interpret and respond to events in ways that reinforce their distress. In a way this becomes a vicious circle. The response styles theory of depression (Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991) suggests that ruminating contributes to the development and maintenance of depressive (or sometimes anxious) symptoms.
The theory suggests that people who ruminate struggle to problem-solve and are more likely to experience prolonged emotional distress.
THESE ARE THE IMPACTS ON MENTAL HEALTH:
Depression: Rumination has been extensively studied and according to Nolen-Hoeksema (1991), rumination prolongs and deepens depressive episodes by fostering a persistent focus on depressive symptoms and negative life events.
Anxiety: Rumination also plays a significant role in anxiety disorders. It amplifies worry, and individuals with high levels of rumination may become trapped in cycles of excessive worry, leading to heightened anxiety symptoms.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Rumination is seen as a contributing factor in the development and maintenance of PTSD. Trauma survivors who ruminate on the traumatic event may experience flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, and emotional distress, which can interfere with recovery.
INTERVENTION AND TREATMENT
Several psychological interventions target rumination, including:
Cognitive restructuring: You can do this on your own, but it is usually more effective to do this with a qualified practitioner. The objective is to focus on identifying and challenging negative thought patterns, including rumination. By reframing your thinking and engaging in more adaptive coping strategies, will reduce rumination and its associated distress.
Cognitive grounding: Another effective strategy in treating rumination is cognitive grounding, which involves helping patients to establish a more realistic and future-oriented perspective. This is particularly significant in the treatment of trauma and stress, as those who engage in rumination often feel trapped in their past experiences (Garza et al., 2023). Grounding techniques assist individuals in shifting their focus away from distressing
thoughts to more constructive narratives about their experiences and future possibilities.
Problem-Solving Therapy: This approach encourages individuals to shift from ruminating to engaging in proactive problem-solving behaviours, which can break the cycle of repetitive negative thinking. In a way it is also linked to post-traumatic growth. While rumination often precedes psychological distress, it can also serve as a catalyst for deeper understanding and personal growth following traumatic experiences, provided that the individual can integrate these thoughts constructively (Mengxin & Zilan, 2022). I have a good friend, his name is Dr Stewart Desson, and he sometimes reminds me, ‘nothing is wasted unless you allow it to be wasted’. This perspective encourages us to frame certain ruminative tendencies as potential tools for insight rather than solely as detrimental processes. Often we can believe a particular narrative, for example, ‘my life is finished, since my partner left me.’ Through a combination of the above approaches, this person could discover, they have new adventures ahead of them, they could join a choir, join a surf club or decide to swipe left and right to change things up.
JUST LIKE TREES WE DON'T LIVE IN ISOLATION
Oak trees might stand alone, but they’re connected to a vast underground network of trees, fungi, and other life forms that share nutrients, water, and even warnings about threats. This “Wood Wide Web” (Underground Mycorrhizal Networks), is a community of support, just like your friends and family who help you weather life’s storms (Khan & Nasreen, 2023).
A sense of belonging is a fundamental human need that plays a vital role in psychological resilience. It encompasses the feeling of acceptance and inclusion within a group or community, which can significantly influence an individual's ability to adapt and recover from adverse experiences. The psychological framework surrounding resilience posits that individuals with a strong sense of belonging are better equipped to handle challenges and stressors, as this connection provides emotional support, a buffer against negative experiences, and a foundation for positive psychological growth.
THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN BELONGING AND RESILIENCE
Tugade & Fredrickson’s (2004) research underscores the idea that positive social connections and a sense of belonging can evoke these beneficial emotions, thereby fostering resilience. This aligns with the broaden-and-build theory, that intimates positive emotions encourage individuals to build lasting psychological resources that facilitate adaptation to life's challenges. For example, Masten et al. highlight the context of resilience in children who overcome adversity, emphasising that social connections act as protective factors that enable individuals to cope effectively (Masten et al., 1990).
Children who feel a strong sense of belonging, whether in families, schools, or communities, tend to develop robust coping mechanisms, leading to improved psychological outcomes.
This suggests that belonging not only provides immediate support but also helps individuals cultivate long-term resilience.
The mechanisms through which a sense of belonging enhances resilience are multifaceted. First, belonging fosters emotional support, providing individuals with a platform to express their feelings and receive validation from others. This emotional backing can be particularly crucial in times of stress, as it mitigates feelings of isolation and helplessness, empowering individuals to confront and manage their challenges more effectively. Additionally, social belonging cultivates a shared identity, which reinforces an individual’s self-worth. This is particularly relevant in high-stress environments, such as academic settings.
McDermott et al. found that nursing students’ resilience positively correlated with their sense of belonging, which in turn correlated with lower levels of depression and higher well-being (McDermott et al., 2020). This highlights the importance of fostering environments where individuals feel connected and valued, as it can promote resilience and bolster mental health. Furthermore, a sense of belonging impacts the way individuals perceive challenges.
Those who feel strongly connected to their peers or communities are more likely to view obstacles as manageable and surmountable, often leveraging their social networks for support.
Such social resources can significantly enhance problem-solving capabilities, leading to greater resilience in overcoming adversities (Chandler et al., 2019). So having friends and a strong social network is vital to resilience, and friendships take careful nurturing, consideration and commitment. It’s a long-term process and yet so valuable. A way we like to position it with clients is to ask,
"if Uber didn’t exist, who would you call to get a lift from the hospital if you were to have a colonoscopy?"
Mindfulness
But what else makes trees resilient? Mindfulness. Think of trees as the ultimate meditators. Their roots are firmly grounded in the earth, they breathe in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, and they don’t rush through life—they grow slowly and steadily, season by season. Like mindfulness, this connection to the present moment helps trees weather life’s inevitable storms. Just as mindfulness promotes emotional balance and reduces stress, trees maintain a deep connection to their environment and adapt as needed, fostering resilience through every challenge (Chen et al., 2023).
Mindfulness practices help individuals observe their thoughts without judgment or attachment, which can reduce the tendency to ruminate.
This approach has been shown to reduce relapse in depression.
Mindfulness encourages individuals to adopt a non-judgmental awareness of their thoughts and emotions, promoting self-distancing that can reduce the intensity of ruminative thought patterns (Ayduk & Kross, 2010). The practice of mindfulness not only assists in alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety but also fosters greater emotional resilience, which is essential for managing rumination and increasing adaptability (Toyoshima et al., 2021).
And here’s where journaling comes into the mix. Just like trees track their growth through rings, journaling lets you reflect and track your own personal development. Over time, trees grow, shed their leaves, and adapt—just as journaling helps you process your emotions, make sense of your journey, and embrace transformation. Both require care to thrive, but with that care comes clarity, growth, and greater resilience (Rivera et al., 2020).
Growth mindset
Now, picture this: trees don’t just survive—they thrive. Through a “growth mindset,” trees continuously adjust, persist, and grow, no matter how many obstacles they face. When conditions are tough, they stretch toward sunlight, deepen their roots, or even regenerate after losing a limb. They don’t give up; they adapt. And just like trees, we can take challenges and turn them into growth opportunities, learning from our setbacks and gaining strength from them (Hartanto et al., 2022).
The correlation between resilience and a growth mindset is a subject of increasing interest in psychological research.
As defined by psychologist Carol Dweck, a growth mindset reflects the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work. This contrasts with a fixed mindset, which posits that abilities are static traits. The presence of a growth mindset is believed to bolster resilience, equipping individuals with the mental fortitude to recover and thrive in the face of challenges.
The Relationship:
Growth Mindset Enhances Resilience: Individuals with a growth mindset believe that setbacks and failures are not permanent or reflective of their inherent abilities. Instead, they see these as opportunities to learn and improve. This perspective fosters resilience, as people are more likely to persevere in the face of challenges. For example, when faced with failure, someone with a growth mindset may focus on what they can learn from the experience and how they can do better next time. This mindset helps them persist and try again, contributing to greater resilience in the long term.
Resilience Supports a Growth Mindset: On the other hand, resilience can reinforce a growth mindset. People who are resilient are able to recover from setbacks, which helps them maintain a belief in their ability to improve and succeed over time. Their ability to handle stress and adversity without giving up strengthens the notion that effort leads to improvement. When someone demonstrates resilience by adapting to difficult situations or managing adversity successfully, they may begin to adopt a more growth-oriented outlook, reinforcing the belief that their abilities can grow through effort and persistence.
Mutual Reinforcement: The combination of resilience and a growth mindset creates a positive feedback loop. As individuals overcome challenges with resilience, they also strengthen their belief in the power of learning and growth, which motivates them to face new challenges with confidence. This ongoing cycle helps them continue to grow and become more resilient over time.
In the end, resilience isn’t about avoiding the storm. It’s about facing the winds head-on like a tree, bending but not breaking, and finding strength in the process.
And just as trees shed old leaves to make room for new growth, we too must let go of what no longer serves us to make space for better things. Resilience is about embracing adversity, learning from it, and growing stronger because of it. So, let’s take a leaf out of the tree’s book (pun intended) and build resilience by adapting, collaborating, and growing with every storm that comes our way.
So, next time you look at a tree, what you’re really looking at is resilience personified!
From the team at the New School Of Nutritional Medicine
Learn about the Founder & Principal of the New School of Nutritional Medicine, Dr Khush Mark PhD HERE.
References:
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Chen, S., Chen, P., Lee, C., Wu, Y., Ahorsu, D., Griffiths, M., … & Lin, C. (2023). Perceived stress mediating the association between mindfulness and resilience among registered nurses. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, Volume 16, 3035-3044. https://doi.org/10.2147/prbm.s412918
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