Stress resilience isn’t a mindset trick. It’s built on your biology, your history, and whether or not you actually use the support available to you.
This week on #straightfromcait, Cait Donovan challenges the idea that self-awareness is where resilience begins. What if your stress response was shaped long before you ever had a chance to influence it? Cait walks through how genetics and early experiences, like trauma or family dynamics, lay the groundwork for how your body handles stress. Some people’s systems are just wired differently, and that wiring matters.
Cait breaks down the difference between reacting to stress and being truly resilient. Real resilience means facing your reality as it is, staying connected to what you care about, and adjusting when things go sideways. Are you living in a way that actually supports your nervous system, or are you just white-knuckling it through your day?
Cait also spotlights two powerful but often overlooked tools: leaning into your natural strengths and asking for help. Not just once, but consistently and without guilt. These choices expand your capacity and give you a better shot at bouncing back when life gets hard.
Self-awareness still plays a role, but it works best when it’s used to build a life that fits you, not a version of you that’s always running on empty.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 What Stress Resilience Really Means
01:20 How Genetics Shape Stress Response
01:55 The Role of Upbringing and Trauma
04:09 Three Core Traits of Resilience
06:01 Skills, Support, and Expanding Resources
07:49 Why Using Resources Matters
09:02 Self-Awareness as a Tool, Not a Starting Point
11:01 Signs Your Resilience Is Holding Up
11:22 Three Ways to Improve Resilience
12:25 Realignment and Radical Honesty
Connect with Cait:
Cait Donovan is a keynote speaker, author, and host of FRIED: The Burnout Podcast, specializing in burnout, mis/match, and sustainable performance at work. She partners with corporate leaders, teams, and professional associations through keynotes, workshops, and leadership sessions that treat burnout as data, not failure, to help organizations reduce burnout without blame or shame and build healthier, high performing cultures.
To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait
Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking
Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
