Good Health

Build Resilience, Break Down Stress

By Cammy Dennis

Managing stress plays a vital role in health and wellness. Interestingly, I find myself struggling with the irony that working to reduce and control stress can be stressful!

I suggest that we flip the switch on how we think about managing stress. Consider shifting your mindset from deconstructing stressors to building up resilience. Resilience enhances our ability to cope with life’s challenges. Midlife and later years can present unique challenges. Retirement, loss of loved ones, caregiving responsibilities, and financial stability are just a few of the circumstances that older adults are faced with.

However, older adults have more life experience to help guide perspectives and govern our emotions. Therefore, as we age, we develop the wisdom to bolster our resilience.

Resilience allows us to adapt to adversity and rebound from stress. Psychologists note that resilience not only provides the ability to “bounce back” from difficult experiences, it also supports personal growth. Studies demonstrate savoring positive experiences helps to develop higher resilience. In turn, they are more likely to report greater happiness and life satisfaction. Specifically, research indicates that the occurrence of positive emotions mitigates stress reactivity and supports stress recovery.

In studying the concept of bolstering resilience as a means of coping with stress, I discovered the “Broaden and Build Theory of Positive Emotions” (Fredrickson, 1998; Fredrickson & Cohn, 2008). This theory proposes that positive emotions broaden awareness and build connections between thoughts and actions. Over time, these evolved adaptations serve as coping skills and psychological resources.

For example, joining a club or activity that links people of similar interest can manifest into meaningful, supportive relationships. Psychology experts find that positive emotions can forecast important outcomes such as health, happiness, and longevity because they build the resources to get there.

“The transition into retirement hit me with having to adjust to a completely different lifestyle,” says On Top of the World resident Rad Delaroderie. “Structure and purpose was provided when I was in the workforce, but when I retired, I had to provide the motivation and self-discipline of staying active and socially involved. Working part time and managing a social media platform in my community help me do just that!”

Athletes that need to compete in a new environment have to gradually “acclimatize” their body to do so. They may have to adapt to varying temperatures or elevations. These athletes are building physical resilience.

We can do the same with our mind. The brain’s ability to change and adapt over our lifespan provides a type of “emotional armor” to fend off stress. By engaging in activities that satisfy curiosity, joy, and purpose, we take the brain away from anxious thoughts and fortify our emotional armor. Exercising, spending time in green spaces, creative endeavors, and intellectual engagement are all great examples of activities that expand your world and build resilience.

Resilience is not a trait that some are lucky to have, but it is something that we can mindfully build throughout our life. The amazing thing about the human body and its brain is that it can change and get stronger at any age.

Cammy Dennis is the fitness director for On Top of the World communities and The Ranch Fitness Center & Spa. She lives the lifestyle she promotes and has trained for triathlons throughout the state, aerobics while living in Tokyo, and various weightlifting events.