Expert Tips on Building Resilience: 7 Strategies to Strengthen Your Mental Fortitude

In a comprehensive interview, Rosean Bishop, Ph.D., a psychiatrist and psychologist at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, Minnesota, highlights that resilience is a skill that can be cultivated at any stage of life. Contrary to the belief that resilience is innate, Bishop emphasizes that resilient individuals are made through intentional practices and habits. She shares seven effective strategies to enhance mental resilience:

1. Recognize Small Positives Daily
Start or end your day by identifying three good things, no matter how minor they seem—such as a friendly encounter, discovering a forgotten dollar, or a quick car repair. Consistently acknowledging small positives helps your brain become more attuned to positive experiences over time.

2. Practice Gratitude Regularly
Reflect on what you are grateful for, big or small. Research involving nuns demonstrated that those who kept gratitude journals lived longer. Expressing gratitude through journaling or sending thank-you messages can boost emotional resilience.

3. Embrace New Experiences
Seek novelty in your routine—try a different route, pick up a new item at the store, or explore a new hobby. Novelty stimulates your brain and builds adaptability.

4. Connect with Nature
Spend time outdoors to observe and appreciate your surroundings—the sky, trees, sounds, and smells. Even five minutes outside focusing on your senses can restore mental clarity and resilience.

5. Focus on What You Can Control
In situations like traffic or minor setbacks, control your reactions rather than stressing over things beyond your influence. This mindset fosters resilience by emphasizing agency.

6. Cultivate Relationships
Strong social connections provide emotional support in challenging times. Valuing and maintaining relationships with friends and family strengthen your capacity to bounce back from adversity.

7. Practice Mindfulness
Engage in mindful awareness—being present and attentive to current experiences. Mindfulness can be difficult, as the mind tends to drift into past or future thoughts, but developing this skill enhances resilience.

Building resilience is an ongoing process. Incorporating these strategies into daily life can improve your mental toughness and overall well-being, empowering you to navigate life's ups and downs more effectively.

source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-qa-psychiatry-psychology-expert-strategies.html