EXERCISE 4: Three-minute exercise: Pain vs suffering – recognising the source of the struggle Start by drawing two boxes on a piece of paper or in a notebook. In the first box, write down your situation, the source of your pain – for example, ‘I lost my job’/‘my partner left me’/‘I have been diagnosed with an illness’/‘my neighbours are playing mus

Viktor Frankl, the American psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, observed: ‘Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.’22

Then offer yourself some words of kindness, encouragement and support. Think about what a supportive friend would say, and say it to yourself. For example: I’m here for you. I’m sorry that you have to go through this. May I be kind to myself in this moment. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. You’re human. It’s natural to feel this way. Everyone hur

‘Know thyself.’ These words were inscribed prominently above the entrance to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, a sacred site in Ancient Greece. Many great teachers throughout history have asserted similarly that knowledge of the self is the foundation for human flourishing. We start our journey with the ability to know ourselves and our minds better.

One of the challenges they face is that a lot of mainstream advice on resilience is unhelpful and some of it is even downright damaging.

EXERCISE 3: One-minute exercise: What is a thought? Take a moment to think about something you’re planning to do later on today or tomorrow. Focus on examining the thoughts as they arise. What is a thought anyway? With an attitude of curiosity, notice what form the thoughts take, how long they stay around, what they’re made of. Try to be curious, n

To ensure our survival, the mind is wired to continuously monitor whether you have the approval of the tribe members.

Fusion with thoughts It’s normal and totally natural to have a certain number of negative thoughts in hard times, but many of us get stuck in a loop and end up fusing with them. We worry, overthink, ruminate and fixate.

As a micro practice, Deep Resilience is available to you in four simple steps, RISE: Step 1: You Recognise and Regulate thoughts and emotions in a healthy and skilful way. Step 2: You Inhabit the Present Moment, grounding your attention in a place of inner clarity, wisdom and steadiness. Step 3: You Stay Connected to Your Values, so that you can re