Strengthening Your Psychological Immune System: How to Protect Your Mind from Negative Events
We all know the importance of taking care of our physical health by eating well, exercising, and getting enough vitamins. But what about our “psychological immune system”? This term, first coined in the 1990s, suggests that our minds also have protective mechanisms, similar to the ones that protect us from physical diseases. In this article, we will explore what the psychological immune system is and how we can strengthen it to better handle negative events.
To understand the psychological immune system, we spoke to Dr. William Van Gordon, Associate Professor in Contemplative Psychology at the University of Derby. He explained, “The psychological immune system is a concept developed by psychologists Daniel Gilbert and Timothy Wilson in the late 1990s. It describes the brain’s automatic, largely unconscious defenses that protect emotional well-being in the face of negative events, much like how the physical immune system fights pathogens.”
This means that our minds have built-in resilience mechanisms that help us reframe setbacks positively, restore self-worth, diminish the intensity and duration of distress, and recover more quickly than we typically predict. In other words, having a strong psychological immune system can help us weather negative events, even those we anticipate would be devastating.
So, how can we boost our psychological immune system? Dr. Van Gordon shared four strategies that can strengthen our psychological immune system and improve emotional recovery and calmness.
1) Shift from negative to neutral
Our minds have a natural negativity bias, which means we pay more attention to negative thoughts and experiences than we do positive ones. This can skew our views and make us feel more negatively about a situation than we should. To counter this, Dr. Van Gordon suggests deliberately moving towards a balanced, neutral perspective, rather than trying to force positivity. This can be done through simple grounding tools such as brief mantras like “This too shall pass,” gratitude reflections, recalling times we have overcome similar challenges, or practicing slow diaphragmatic breathing to calm the nervous system.
2) Anchor in the present
When faced with adversity, it is essential to focus on what is controllable right now. This can help interrupt rumination about the past or anxiety about the future. Dr. Van Gordon recommends building small daily habits of mindfulness, such as one to two minutes of breath awareness, protecting the quality of our sleep to restore cognitive clarity, and creating routines that break negative thought loops and restore motivation, such as morning journaling or quick walks.
3) Reconnect with meaning and purpose
Having a sense of purpose is crucial for our mental well-being. When faced with adversity, Dr. Van Gordon suggests reframing the situation through our core values or long-term goals. This could mean viewing a difficult experience as an opportunity to grow skills or character. Practicing self-compassion, seeking trusted perspectives from others, or visualizing how the challenge fits into a bigger, meaningful picture can also help us reconnect with our purpose.
4) Practice healthy acceptance
It is essential to allow difficult emotions to arise without suppression or denial, especially after significant loss or trauma. Dr. Van Gordon advises recognizing that feelings such as sadness or anger carry important signals and treating ourselves kindly during the process. If distress persists, seeking professional support rather than forcing “positive thinking” alone can be beneficial.
In conclusion, our psychological immune system plays a crucial role in protecting our minds from negative events. By implementing these strategies, we can strengthen our psychological immune system and improve our emotional well-being. Remember, just as we take care of our physical health, it is equally important to take care of our mental health. So, let’s start working on strengthening our psychological immune system today.
