We all have that friend who seems to sail through life unbothered, even in the face of stress. But new research suggests there may be a reason why some people cope with stress better than others—and there may be psychological habits associated with greater resilience that you can take away from this.
The latest study suggests that more resilient people are better at preventing negative information from taking over, which might help them navigate stressful situations more effectively. But what is resilience, and how do you foster it? Here’s what psychologists say about the skill—and why it’s so valuable.
Meet the experts: Thea Gallagher, PsyD, clinical associate professor of psychology at NYU Langone Health; and Hillary Ammon, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at the Center for Anxiety and Women’s Emotional Wellness.
What did the study find?
For the small cross-sectional study, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, researchers recruited 82 participants and had them complete an experimental task. During the task, participants had to make cost-benefit decisions on which colors and geometric shapes might be linked to small gains and losses in money. They had to repeatedly decide during the experiment if they wanted to accept or reject certain offers.
While the participants were taking the test, the researchers put them through MRIs to measure their brain activity, specifically looking at changes in the levels of oxygen in their blood.
Researchers used that information in statistical models to analyze how much participants valued positive information more than negative information and how that aligned with their resilience.
After crunching all the data, the scientists found that people who gave slightly more weight to positive information over negative information when making decisions had higher levels of acceptance, an important factor in psychological resilience.
When researchers examined the imaging data, they found that the brains of people with higher resilience didn’t respond more strongly to positive information. Instead, their brains had a stronger response to negative information. Here’s the kicker: This response was especially strong in areas of the brain linked to cognitive control and information processing.
All this is to say that their brains were better at regulating negative information, which could explain why they were more likely to focus on the positives when making decisions.
“These differences in value processing could shape experiences and behavior in ways that make some individuals more resilient to stress and mental health problems than others,” the researchers wrote in the study.
What defines resilience?
“Resilience is the ability to adapt and recover in the face of stress, adversity, setbacks, or uncertainty,” explains Thea Gallagher, PsyD, clinical associate professor of psychology at NYU Langone Health. Resilience doesn’t mean avoiding tough emotions or being peppy all the time, though.
“Resilient people still experience disappointment, anxiety, frustration, and grief, but they are better able to tolerate those emotions, adjust to changing circumstances, and continue moving forward,” Gallagher says. “In many ways, resilience is less about toughness and more about psychological flexibility.”
But it’s possible to be a little or a lot resilient. “Resilience can fall on a spectrum, with some being more resilient, and others being less resilient, when faced with adversity or trauma,” says Hillary Ammon, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at the Center for Anxiety and Women’s Emotional Wellness.
How to become a more resilient person
Some people are just naturally better at being resilient than others, but that doesn’t mean you can’t increase your personal resilience.
“Healthy routines can set the groundwork for better mental health overall,” Ammon says. “Think quality sleep, healthy diet, and moving your body.” She also suggests trying to redirect your thinking to something a little more flexible when you’re facing adversity. Instead of thinking that bad things always happen to you, she suggests reframing a situation as “That was a tough meeting. I am proud of myself for getting through it.”
It can also be helpful to try to gradually build your tolerance for discomfort, Gallagher says. “Resilience develops when we face manageable challenges and learn that we can handle them, whether that’s having a difficult conversation, trying something new, setting a boundary, or taking a calculated risk,” she adds.
You can also practice labeling your emotions regularly, Ammon suggests. “Better awareness of what you are feeling can help you cope sooner and more effectively so that maybe you can intervene before you hit peak distress,” she says.
Overall, Gallagher recommends viewing resilience as a practical way to navigate stress. “It’s not the absence of stress—it’s the ability to experience stress without letting it completely dictate your decisions,” she says.
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