Abstract
The 21st century is known as the age of crises and constant probing for resilience in the face of human challenges. While our neurobiology has been designed to help us cope with sudden threats like these, continuous exposure through digital media of events unfolding on a monumental scale can engender constant anxiety in anyone familiar with empathic capacity. Using Lazarus’s cognitive appraisal theory as a foundation, this article describes how exposure to trauma can lead to psychological distress in the presence of an imbalance between appraised threat and coping resources—oftentimes paralleled by learned helplessness or vicarious traumatization. However, crises can also trigger a resilience response: the literature on post-traumatic growth testifies to multiple adaptive pathways, which are modulated by both cultural and genetic factors. Leading-edge neuroscience research demonstrates that neural plasticity can be harnessed through tools such as mindfulness meditation, controlled breathing, and biofeedback to rewire the stress response system. Lifestyle interventions like 4-7-8 breathing, limited screen time, nature therapy, or exercise are practical and evidence-based approaches to reduce anxiety and build resilience. In times like these, a balanced approach to thinking about crises is not only crucial for mental health but also essential for fostering constructive societal resilience.
Keywords: Resilience, Neural plasticity, Psychological Distress
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