Resilience became a buzzword during the pandemic, with all of us encouraged to try to boost ours. We made some half-hearted attempts. We did puzzles and downloaded a meditation app. But years on, do you feel truly, properly resilient? 

Likely not, according to new research from The Body Shop. It found that only 14% of women think they’re resilient. Compared to 31% of men, that’s a pretty teeny figure. 

What’s holding us back from our resilience potential? Top of the list is the cost of living crisis, followed by worries about the wellbeing of family and friends, then our own physical health. Comparison culture plays a role in us feeling down in the dumps, too – millennials in particular say they spend a lot of mental energy on comparing themselves to others and feeling like they’re not living up to expectations. 

Mental health is also a worry, chosen as the top concern among 18–24-year-olds and the second most important trouble for those aged 25-44. For women aged over 45, physical health tops the list, including perimenopause and menopause. 

Our living situations play a part, too. Women aged 15–34 living at home and/or not living with a partner or kids feel far less resilient than peers who are in relationships and living with their partners, with 19% of respondents giving a score of four or lower out of 10 for how resilient they feel. This is compared to only 5% of ‘nest builders’ (co-habiting couples without the responsibilities of having kids) giving the same lower score. Of ‘nest builders’, 38% reported very high resilience scores of 8 out of 10.

How do we up our resilience in light of all this stress? Self-care is key, and The Body Shop wants to make sure we’re committing to it. To get us started on a path to being more resilient, the brand has launched a new song, Living Resiliently, narrated by Spice Girl Melanie C. 

The track dishes out advice for living more resiliently from 20 contributors, including Gemma Styles, The Body Shop colleagues and members of the public. Tips shared include being kind to yourself, seeing knockbacks as a step to thriving and using your kitchen as a disco.

So basically, see this as your set of affirmations to play each morning. Take in the words (we’ve popped the full lyrics below) and go about your day with these tips in mind. 

“Inner resilience is one of the most important life skills,” says Maddie Smith, managing director of The Body Shop in the UK and Ireland. “Resilience is not about powering through and draining our resources – it’s about being kind to ourselves, creating a climate that nourishes ourselves so we can thrive. Self-care, like our daily skincare routine or getting outdoors, gives us the energy and resilience to take on life’s challenges, and is something we think should be cherished.”

To the class of 2023
The Body Shop would like to share this advice for living more
resiliently…
Be kind to yourself
Know that the knockbacks and setbacks will ultimately help you thrive.
Change your mind – loudly and often
Remember people aren’t thinking about you as much as you worry they are
Breathe
Your kitchen is your disco – hit the dancefloor whenever you can.
Learn to enjoy your own company
Stop worrying about how well your friends are doing – celebrate their
successes as much as your own.
Meditate
Look after your skin
Don’t be afraid to say no – and don’t settle for anyone who doesn’t
make you happy
The weird things about you are the interesting things about you.
Go to the gig, you’ll miss them when they split…
Sleep
Remember, nothing good happens after 2am
And trust me, be kind to yourself

Image: Getty