Dr. Maymunah Yusuf Kadiri 
We’ve been taught to see stress as the enemy, something to fight, flee, or numb. But what if stress isn’t the villain? What if it’s the messenger, a teacher disguised in discomfort?
The truth is, stress is not always here to break you. Sometimes, it’s here to build you. Like fire refining gold, pressure can polish purpose if we learn how to hold it without burning.
Think about it: muscles grow only when they’re pushed. Seeds crack before they sprout. Diamonds form under intense heat and time. So why do we expect growth without friction?
Stress, in its raw form, is energy, a call to adapt, evolve, and rise. It becomes harmful only when it lingers unprocessed. The problem isn’t stress itself, but how we carry it. Some people collapse under its weight. Others use it to climb higher.
Resilience isn’t about smiling through the storm or pretending the wind doesn’t hurt. It’s the quiet decision to bend, not break. To feel fear, yet keep moving. To rest, yet not retreat.
Just as an athlete trains their body, we must train our minds to respond, not react to stress. When the body and mind work in harmony, stress becomes a teacher, not a tyrant.
For the body, resilience starts with the basics:
– Sleep: Deep rest is not laziness; it’s leadership for your brain. Seven to nine hours a night recalibrates your emotions, repairs your cells, and prepares you to face life’s noise with calm clarity.
– Movement: When life feels heavy, move anyway. Exercise releases endorphins — the body’s natural antidote to anxiety. Walk, stretch, or dance. Motion creates emotion.
– Nutrition: Food is fuel, not filler. What you eat can either stabilize your mood or sabotage your balance. Choose foods that give, not those that take.
For the mind, resilience grows through practice:
– Mindfulness: Stress amplifies when the mind wanders into “what if.” Mindfulness anchors you in “what is.” Breathe deeply. Name your emotions. Don’t resist the wave — ride it until it softens.
– Cognitive Flexibility: When your inner critic says, “I can’t,” challenge it with, “I’m learning.” Replace panic with perspective. Thoughts are seeds — water the ones that serve your growth.
– Support Systems: Resilience isn’t built in isolation. Lean on your tribe — friends, mentors, therapists, loved ones. Strength shared is strength multiplied.
Tools for the tough days
For Anxiety – Ground yourself in the now:
Anxiety thrives in the future tense. Try the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise: notice five things you see, four you can touch, three you hear, two you smell, and one you taste. It’s a simple way to pull your attention out of “what might be” and into “what is.” Pair it with the box breath — inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for four. This is how calm re-enters chaos.
For Burnout – Recharge before you collapse:
Burnout rarely explodes; it erodes. It whispers through fatigue, irritability, and apathy long before it shouts. Protect your energy by taking micro-breaks — two minutes to stretch, sip water, or look at something green. Rest is not an interruption of success. It’s a strategy for it.
For Uncertainty – Control the controllable:
When life feels unpredictable, draw two circles on paper. In one, list what you can control — your habits, reactions, and effort. In the other, list what you can’t — the economy, other people’s choices, the future. Redirect your energy to the first. The circle of control is your anchor in the storm.
From breaking point to breakthrough
Reframing stress as growth doesn’t mean pretending it feels good. It means realizing that pain often points to purpose. The weight you feel is proof you’re stretching, not stuck.
Every time you choose awareness over avoidance, rest over rush, reflection over reaction — you build resilience. And like a muscle, it grows stronger with use.
So the next time stress knocks, don’t just ask, “Why me?” Try asking, “What is this teaching me?” Because within every pressure lies the potential for transformation.
Stress is the weight. Resilience is the training.
And the beautiful truth? The stronger you get, the lighter the load feels.
Breathe. Adapt. Evolve. You’re not breaking down, you’re breaking through.
Dr. MAYMUNAH YUSUF KADIRI (aka DR. MAY) popularly referred to as “The Celebrity Shrink,” is a multiple award winning Mental Health Physician, Advocate & Coach. She is the convener of “The Mental Health Conference” and the Medical Director and Psychiatrist-In-Chief at Pinnacle Medical Services, Dr. Kadiri is a dynamic Consultant Neuro-Psychiatrist and a Fellow of the National Post Graduate Medical College of Nigeria (FMCPsych) with almost 20 years’ experience as a practicing Physician.