on nutrition
If I asked you what factors help reduce the risk of heart disease, what would you say? Diet, exercise, not smoking… maybe red wine in moderation? Correct on all counts, of course, but here’s one you probably didn’t consider: psychological resilience, or the ability to bounce back from stress.
Everyone can benefit from being resilient, but analysis of data from the Women’s Health Initiative suggests that when it comes to heart health in older women, resilience really matters. That’s significant, because heart disease, especially coronary artery disease, is the leading cause of death among women, and the risk rises after menopause as the protective effects of estrogen wear off.
This investigation, published in 2020 in Nutrients magazine, found that among 77,395 women (mean age 77 years) from various racial and ethnic backgrounds, high resilience was associated with greater engagement in heart-protective health behaviors. Specifically, highly resistant women tended to eat a better-quality diet, be physically active for at least 150 minutes per week, sleep seven to nine hours a night, and maintain moderate alcohol consumption.
The authors noted that women who reported higher levels of resilience had generally experienced fewer stressful life events, such as the death of a spouse or close friend, divorce or separation, significant family conflict, physical or verbal abuse, or loss of a significant other. job. They also tended to have higher income, education and social status, and were less likely to struggle with depression.
Previous Women’s Health Initiative research published in 2016 found that highly resilient women felt they were better able to handle both the stress and life challenges associated with aging. That’s important, because research published in the journal Circulation in 2019 found that women with lower levels of cumulative stress (stress arising from a combination of a variety of psychological, social, physical, and environmental conditions) were more likely to exercise and eat a healthy diet, and less likely to smoke or have high blood pressure. , cholesterol or glucose levels. This is consistent with a larger body of research showing that experiencing more stress than we can cope with and adapt to is not good for cardiovascular health, or our ability to develop heart-healthy habits. That is true for both men and women.
While there are various definitions of resilience, generally speaking, resilient people tend to bounce back quickly after difficult times or stressful events and overcome these challenges with short-lived negative effects. People who have low levels of resilience have a hard time bouncing back when something bad happens and find that it takes them a long time to get over setbacks in their life.
It’s worth noting that resilience isn’t the same as sucking it up and moving on, or pretending a stressful or traumatic event didn’t happen. The authors of the 2020 study noted that succumbing to pressure to function normally at work and at home in the face of excessive daily and chronic stressors, a “superwoman” phenomenon that is especially common among black women, can lead to lack of emotional support, depression and unhealthy behaviors.
Some researchers argue that resilience is a personal trait: you either have it or you don’t. Others say that resilience involves behaviors, thoughts, and actions that anyone can learn and develop. This means that we have the potential to learn to positively adapt in the face of significant adversity, high levels of stress, and even trauma or threat. It’s also possible that resilience is something we experience more or less depending on the strength of our social connections.
Just like building muscle, building resilience takes time and intentional effort. These four strategies can help you increase your resilience so that you can resist and even learn from challenging and stressful experiences.
build connections
Social isolation reduces resilience. Increase your ability to bounce back from hardships by genuinely connecting with people in your life (friends, family, mentors) who will show you compassion and validate your feelings when you’re dealing with one of life’s curveballs. Helping others by joining a charity or being there for a friend going through their own struggles can create connection and provide social support while building self-esteem and a sense of purpose. The books I mentioned in my recent column on stress all emphasize the importance of connection.
To take action
Allowing yourself to feel your feelings with self-compassion is important when times are tough. It’s also important to ask yourself what you can do about the current situation, and then set realistic goals to move forward in a positive direction, whether that’s working on your resume, joining a grief support group, or finding a therapist.
take care of yourself
Research on women, resilience, and heart-healthy behaviors raised an interesting question: does resilience help us adopt health-promoting behaviors, or does adopting health-promoting behaviors help us become more resilient in the face of tremendous stress? Eating good, move our bodies in ways that feel good and getting enough sleep can help our bodies deal with the physical and emotional aspects of stress.
Consider
mindfulness practices such as meditation or journaling can help you become aware of what you are feeling, so that you can then ask yourself what you need to deal with those feelings, and accept that the current situation is what it is. for now, which makes it easier to take meaningful action instead of sticking your head in the sand. Mindfulness also helps you become aware of his thoughts, helping you avoid getting caught up in rumination or catastrophic thinking. This can also help you keep things in perspective and accept that change is a part of life. If you’re having trouble with this, a book I regularly recommend is “The Happiness Trap” by Russ Harris.
