As much as we want to cruise through our life and make most of our time, challenges are an inevitable part of the adventure. Handling the curve balls thrown by life without crumbling from the pressure can be a harrowing experience for many. In the current era of hustle culture, to fit into everything on our schedule, most of us end up sacrificing our sleep.
When we lose our quality of sleep while juggling multiple roles and challenges, it can snowball into serious issues like learning impairments, cognitive decline and chronic health issues, with long-term effects. Though life’s hardships are unavoidable, some people are able to manage life-changing, stressful or traumatic situations due to the mental resilience they have retained during their life.
What is Mental Resilience?
In simple terms, mental resilience is how well we respond to distressful situations or life experiences by adapting to it successfully. Our response to hardships can be characterized by the way we perceive the world, how we cope with loss, stress, trauma and unique circumstances.
A few circumstances that can bring a significant amount of stress for most people are family conflicts, relationship problems, chronic health issues, workplace challenges and financial distress. For a person with higher levels of mental resilience, the ability to recover from these tough experiences can be a progressive journey filled with empowerment, personal growth, learning and development. The following are some of the character strengths of a person with high levels of mental resilience:
- Self-awareness
- Survivor mentality
- Adaptability
- Hopefulness
- Tenaciousness
- Problem-solving mindset
- Decision-making prowess
- Self-efficacy
So how can an individual enable their mental resilience, other than having the above strengths? It involves winding down and getting some much needed sleep!
How does sleep quality influence our mental resilience?
1. Emotional Resilience
Research studies have consistently highlighted the symbiotic and critical relationship between mental resilience and quality of sleep. According to a study published in the Journal of Sleep Research, poor sleep quality significantly impairs our emotional resilience. Difficulty falling asleep, frequently waking up and inadequate sleep are factors that can critically affect mood regulation and emotional processing.
Maintaining a good quality of sleep enhances our ability to regulate our emotions, allowing us to respond to challenges with greater focus and a calmer approach. For example, a well-rested person may respond to a difficult conversation with patience and compassion while someone who didn’t get adequate sleep is more likely to react harshly and impulsively during conflicts.
2. Cognitive Functioning
Another research study indicated that sleep can affect the essential components of mental resilience which are cognitive flexibility, decision-making and memory consolidation. When we are well-rested, we tend to perform better under pressure, can make decisions that are adaptive. We are also less prone to cognitive biases and impulsive decisions. Sleep deprivation on the other hand can make us feel overwhelmed and reduces our ability to manage our thoughts, emotions and the decisions we make.
In a dynamic work environment, a well-rested individual can adapt to unexpected challenges more effectively than a sleep-deprived individual who might struggle to keep up with the changes. Sleep helps in consolidating memories, sharpening focus, and enhances our ability to problem solve. When the quality of sleep is good, our brain’s capacity for decision-making and adaptability is increased, making it easier to come up with creative solutions and adapt to our circumstances.
3. Mental health challenges
According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, chronic sleep deprivation can adversely affect our mental health and vulnerability to stress. When our body produces stress hormones like cortisol on a consistent basis due to less quality of sleep, we inadvertently struggle when coping with overwhelming stress.
The findings of the research also indicated that people with poor sleep habits tend to showcase increased levels of anxiety, depression, and sensitivity to stress. Inadequate sleep can also diminish the brain’s ability to recover from stress and leads to prolonged emotional and mental fatigue. When quality of sleep is impaired over a period of time, we are more susceptible to mental health challenges and burnout.
Sleep quality is also vital for recovering from traumatic events and a research published in Frontiers in Psychology examined the connection between sleep disturbances (such as insomnia and nightmares) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This research study uncovered the importance of how sleep supported recovery from trauma by promoting mental resilience and reducing the emotional reactivity towards the traumatic circumstances.
Trauma survivors with a low quality of sleep are at a higher risk for developing PTSD and find it more challenging to process their traumatic experiences. Getting adequate sleep can help the brain to process and integrate trauma, opening up the gateway towards emotional healing and personal development.
4. Cognitive decline
Research related to the active relationship between quality of sleep and cognitive decline have uncovered some fascinating implications. When our sleep quality is disrupted, it can significantly contribute to cognitive decline and increase susceptibility to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease.
Recent research has indicated that the glymphatic system within our central nervous system (CNS) is mainly active when we sleep. This system is responsible for removing and flushing out toxins and waste products that are harmful to the brain. When our quality of sleep is poor, the glymphatic system’s process is impaired, thus leading to accumulation of those harmful substances. This in turn accelerates the rate of cognitive decline.
Sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome, known to disrupt the quality of sleep also accelerate cognitive decline by not allowing our brain to enter the deeper and restorative stages of sleep.
5. Immune System
While sleep quality is majorly linked to cognitive functions, it can also adversely impact our immune system. Sleep plays a crucial role in immune function, and when sleep patterns are disrupted, the effectiveness of the immune system is reduced. A weakened immune system can increase the susceptibility to illness, which can further reduce mental resilience. An inefficient immune system is also a host for cognitive decline, making it harder for individuals to cope with stress or manage emotions.
6. Neuroplasticity and stress recovery
When we sleep, our brain has the ability to repair the neural damage caused by chronic stress and form new neural connections. This ability of the brain is known as neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity can help the brain adapt to dynamic environments, recover from injuries or stress and also enhance our existing cognitive functions.
Have you ever wondered why we tend to feel exhausted and fall sleep after experiencing distressing circumstances or a stressful event? It is due to our brain’s ability to reset and recover from the stress caused by that event or those circumstances. This stress recovery process that happens when we sleep can strengthen our mental resilience, coping mechanisms related to stress and restore our emotional equilibrium.
Did you know?
Chronodisruption is a disturbance that occurs in the body’s circadian rhythm (our internal biological clock that regulates sleep-wake cycles). It is usually caused by irregular sleep patterns, night shift or shift work, jet lag, excessive night-eating and other disruptive factors. For example, the interference caused by working night shifts can weaken the immune system, making us more susceptible to colds or infections, leading to physical and mental fatigue. While affecting our physical health, it also interferes with our ability to maintain mental resilience during hardships.
The discord between the external environment and our biological clock can also increase the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, insomnia and cancer. Chronodisruption can also lead to higher susceptibility to mood disorders like depression and anxiety, and impair our mental resilience.
Can Mental Resilience be improved?
According to a research study, mental resilience can fluctuate over time in each person, based on their unique circumstances. Mental resilience is an ability that people can hone and strengthen through practice. To fortify your mental resilience, ensuring that you get good quality of sleep every night is a great initiative. Here are some of the ways you can prioritize your sleep schedule:
- Make sure that your sleeping habits are consistent by going to bed at a reasonable hour and waking up at the same time every morning.
- Getting some natural sunlight on a daily basis is vital for our health and also keeps our circadian rhythm functioning efficiently.
- Including exercise in our daily schedule can keep us active and also support us to sleep well.
- Limiting distractions and notifications from our gadgets right before our bedtime can help us to sleep in a calmer environment.
- Taking a warm bath, reading, journaling and brushing our teeth before sleeping are daily night routines that can remind our mind and body to win down for sleep.
- It’s best to avoid heavy meals and alcohol before we go to sleep. Stimulants like nicotine and caffeine can also disrupt our sleep cycles.
- Short power naps can be invigorating additions to our day but avoid taking long ones during the mid-afternoon as it may negatively impact our sleep-wake cycle during the night.
- Consult a doctor or counselor if you have ongoing or prolonged sleep problems. Mental health professionals can also guide you on strengthening your mental resilience.
Conclusion
Sleep has a profound impact on how we deal with the responsibilities and challenges that come with leading a productive life. Just as we eat to fuel our bodies, quality sleep recharges both our mind and body. A good night’s rest is essential for maintaining mental resilience, emotional balance, and overall health.
Mentally resilient people who maintain a healthy sleep schedule are better equipped to handle difficult circumstances and emotionally challenging events. On the other hand, individuals who undergo prolonged sleep deprivation are more vulnerable to mental health issues and may struggle to cope with setbacks, stress and conflict that they undergo in their life.
When good sleep quality is sustained, it can restore cognitive functioning, improve how we process our emotions. Getting adequate and uninterrupted sleep can also aid our minds in the process of recovering from stress and trauma. Sleeping well can help you think clearly, come up with innovative solutions, adapt to challenges and make more informed decisions. Our sleep patterns can also affect our immune system, which has a major impact on our overall well-being.
FAQs
1. What is Mental Resilience?
Mental resilience is your ability to cope with the difficult events, circumstances and situations that you experience in your life, your adaptive response to them and how you recover from adversities.
2. How do I know if I have high levels of mental resilience?
If you demonstrate the ability to bounce back from turbulent situations, have a growth mindset and focus on resolving it rather than believing that you are a victim of a situation, you are likely to have high levels of mental resilience.
3. How to cultivate Mental Resilience?
By getting good sleep, practicing mindfulness everyday, focusing on the present rather than the past, regulating your emotions, taking accountability for your actions, being self-compassionate, having a support system to lean on, etc.
References +
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