Building Resilience: The key to stress management and supporting mental health

We have all had those days where we feel everything goes smoothly. We are in the flow. We are meeting the challenges and demands of the day positively. We are solution-minded, creative, productive, happy and vibrant. 

Then we have the opposite - where things seem to go wrong, we are frantically juggling everything on our to-do list, feeling like there isn’t enough time in the day. We are overwhelmed, drained and fatigued. 

The difference in how your day feels has to do with your current state of physiology. It has to do with how resilient you are to life stressors and how well you can adapt to the constant pressures, challenges and the ever-changing environment of life. 

Building resilience

To look at building resilience we need to, first, acknowledge what weakens it, which is stress. 

Stress is a term that's thrown around a lot, but in this context, it refers to the physical response of your body to demands made upon it, whether they are physical, mental or emotional.

The term stress was borrowed from the engineers by a physiologist called Dr Hans Selye. In engineering, stress is an overland on a structure - metal, wood, etc. When this occurs, something has to give. Dr Selye brought this term into the physiology, into the body, and showed stress is an overload on our Nervous System. When the overload becomes too much, it gives. 

Ongoing, chronic and unmanaged toxic stress is extremely harmful to the physiology. The cortisol and adrenaline you need to push on through a really busy day is the same chemical signal that would be released if something extreme and life-threatening occurred to you.

The same physiological signature occurs in the body in both situations – an increase in blood pressure, respiration rate and heart rate, a decrease in digestive capacity, along with an eventual corresponding increase in inflammation and decrease in immune function.

This day and age, our body can’t distinguish between a real-life threat, and the busyness of life, relationship issues, work demands, deadlines, etc. We are chronically over activating this survival and alarm response, day in and day out. 

Being in a heightened state of systemic ‘alarm’ is the reason why we lack resilience. It's why many people experience fatigue and is why eventually, innocuous events can begin to trigger a feeling of overwhelm, anxiety and depression. 

Building resilience begins with developing, evolving and nourishing all aspects of our being - mind, body, emotions and spirit. It requires our ongoing investment in positive health-based decisions including dietary changes, lifestyle practices, meditation and supplementation. 

Here are a few tools you can implement to build resilience: 

•              Deep rest: 

◦         The purpose of sleep is to heal and repair the body, but between 33% and 45% of adults in Australia sleep poorly, or not enough, which undermines mental wellbeing. We all know how we feel after a poor night sleep - we are cranky, short, sharp and tired. In this state, we then make poor decisions regarding food and exercise. Sleep is the number one thing that can greatly impact our resilience from day to day. A way to overcome this though is to get to bed early and aim for 7 to 8 hours of actual sleep a night. 

•              Food as Medicine: 

◦         Minimising sugar, coffee and alcohol is a wonderful first step as these substances are taxing to your nervous system and rob you of energy. Adopt a balanced wholefood diet which is great for general health. There are specific foods packed full of nutrients that are required for a healthy nervous system. These include foods high in B vitamins such as oats and whole grains. Foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids are excellent for brain and nervous system health - found in oily fish, walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds. Food rich in minerals such as zinc and magnesium such as pumpkin seeds, lean meats, fish, green leafy vegetables, legumes, avocado are also highly beneficial. 

•              Daily movement:

◦         There is an incredible body of research emerging showing how regular exercise is beneficial for mental health. Moving and exercising regularly not only reduces feelings of stress but helps improve sleep and boosts mood. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate to intensive physical exercise daily. Do something that you find enjoyable- walk, jog, run, cycle, climb, dance, yoga, anything is great as long as it’s happening! 

•              Meditation:

◦         If you have slipped up on your daily meditation practice, set yourself a goal to meditate later today. If you need a refresher on your practice, please be in touch with us, we are happy to support you in rebooting your routine. If you haven’t learnt yet - be in touch to find out more. This is because there is extensive evidence showing people who meditate report less stress, improved physical and emotional health and better sleep. Plus, it reduces the stress-related biomarkers including blood pressure and cortisol levels (the stress hormone). 

•              Support Gut Health: 

◦         If you have been in my seminars you would have learnt about the power of the good bugs in our gut and their link to mental health and moods. This is due to the gut-brain axis and any disturbance in digestive health can contribute to mood swings, anxiety and low moods. What these little micro-organisms needs is high fibre, complex carbohydrates (these are called probiotics - carbohydrates that boost healthy bacteria in the gut). These include whole grains such as oats, rice, quinoa, buckwheat, legumes and of course fruit and vegetables (unpeeled where possible.) Also include fermented foods into your diet for gut health. These provide a good dose of friendly bacteria. These include kimchi, sauerkraut, yoghurt, kefir, kombucha.

•              Play:

◦         Remember to include time to play and make space for fun in your life. Love and laughter are great stress busters and resilience boosters. Bring joy into your life -whatever it is, just do it and do it regularly. 

•              Supplemental support:

◦         Multi B vitamins 

◦         Magnesium 

◦         Adaptogenic herbs like Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Ginseng (Eleuthrococcus senticosus) and Rhodiola ( Rhodiola rosea). This class of natural medicines are termed ‘adaptogens’ due to their ability to support physical and mental health during times of stress.

◦         Before starting any supplement, ask a qualified Practitioner (e.g. Clinical Naturopath, Nutritionist, Ayurvedic Practitioner) for assistance with the best nutritional and herbal solutions for your individual situation and physiology.

By incorporating as many of the above strategies you will improve your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing and create robust resilience for the long term. 

Author: Tegan Wallis

Tegan is a Naturopath, Ayurveda Health Consultant and Yoga Teacher at Griffith Consulting's sister company, Veda Wellness.

Tegan is one of Griffith Consulting's key program facilitators and specialises in workplace health & wellness. 

For more information about Tegan or her services, please go to: www.vedawellness.com.au