#straightfromcait: What Is Stress Resilience? And How Do You Get More Of It?

May 18, 2025

Explore the intriguing concept of stress resilience, which goes beyond mindset to include biology and personal history. Discover how your genetic wiring and early experiences shape how you manage stress. Learn about the vital distinction between merely reacting to stress and cultivating true resilience. Cait emphasizes the power of leveraging your natural strengths and consistently seeking support without guilt. It's about aligning your life with your values to better support your nervous system and thrive amid challenges.

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INSIGHT

Biological Basis of Resilience

Stress resilience is largely determined by genetics and early life experiences, not just mindset or self-awareness.
Your body's stress response is unique and wired by DNA and upbringing, which shapes your baseline resilience level.

INSIGHT

Traits Defining Resilience

Resilience involves three core traits: seeing reality clearly, staying true to your values and purpose, and adapting when needed.
Toughing it out is not resilience; true resilience means facing reality and pivoting effectively.

INSIGHT

Skills and Help Boost Resilience

Resilient individuals often have a special skill or talent and can consistently ask for help to expand their support network.
These two factors increase available resources and boost overall resilience.

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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

Links

Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait

Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]

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