Wellbeing + Resilience

We all want to feel well + function fully in our personal lives, at work + in our community.

We may look to those upbeat, easygoing individuals around us + think ‘How do they do it? Why can’t I be more like that?’ While I think it’s often unhelpful to invite comparison, there is a positive takeaway here: resilience is a skill that can be cultivated + nurtured.

There’s been an interesting shift away from a deficit-based model of mental health - emphasising pathology + the negative impacts of trauma or stress - + toward the inclusion of strength + competency-based models. What factors contribute to resiliency? What characteristics do resilient people have? How can we train resiliency skills? I like this approach because it is prevention-focused + empowering to the individual.

We generally cannot have good overall psychological wellbeing if we are neglecting our physical health. Being physically active - whether through regular exercise or spontaneous physical activity - helps build resilience by blunting stress reactivity, protecting against potentially negative behavioural + metabolic consequences of stressful events + preventing a range of chronic diseases.

Mind-body movement practices, such as yoga, tai-chi, qigong + Pilates are brilliant because they recognise the complex interrelationship between our physical + psychological selves. The systems, organs + emotional responses we have share a common chemical language + are constantly communicating with each other. Through concentration, breathing techniques + repetition, we can influence some of what goes on internally. For example, focussed deep breathing can help elicit the relaxation  response.

But, beyond this, mindful movement practices can be handy litmus tests for measuring resilience. They offer students insight into how they respond to challenge. Try this: next time you’re on the mat, observe how you react when you’re shaking, wobbling or stumbling in an exercise: do get angry? Frustrated? Or do you laugh it off? What is your natural tendency when faced with challenge? Armed with this knowledge, you can then work to temper your reactivity. 

Mindful movement practices teach our brains how to flexibly adapt to change; they nudge us out of our comfort zone + encourage us to problem solve. This then creates new connections in the brain + through repetition these connections become stronger. What we learn on the mat translates into everyday life + by building a regular practice, we can better adapt to what life throws at us.

Cheers to the power of movement!