We hear a lot about acute post-traumatic stress and the more chronic and debilitating, post-traumatic stress disorder. While they’re very real, so is post-traumatic growth; yet we don’t hear as much about it. This editorial explores it further.
When most people think about trauma or stress, they tend to connect it with damage, physical, emotional and mental. We hear terms like employees are experiencing burnout, breakdown, or post-traumatic stress. While this can absolutely be the case, research increasingly shows that stress, when reframed, can also serve as a catalyst for growth. This is known as post-traumatic growth, the positive psychological (and physiological) changes that can occur as a result of struggling with life’s challenges.
Rethinking Stress: From Toxic to Transformative
In her fascinating TED Talk, “How to Make Stress Your Friend,” Psychologist, Dr. Kelly McGonigal, highlights research that compares people who believed stress was toxic to those who viewed it as preparation for something big. The difference was remarkable: controlling for relevant variables, she conducted a longitudinal study and found that people who believed stress could serve as a growth opportunity demonstrated better health outcomes than those who viewed stress as “bad” and associated it with negative outcomes.
In other words, it’s not just stressor itself, it’s how we think about stressors that impact outcomes relevant to our health, wellbeing and performance. When we shift our mindset to the realization that a stress response is our body preparing to meet challenges, then adrenaline, increased heart rate, and cortisol stop being enemies and start being our allies; they start working with us vs against us.
The Seven Attributes of Post-Traumatic Growth
Reframing stress and trauma opens the door to unexpected and profoundly positive outcomes. Post-traumatic growth often results in:
- Greater appreciation for life
- Strengthened close relationships
- Increased compassion and altruism
- New possibilities and purpose
- Increased awareness of personal strengths
- Enhanced spiritual development
- Creative growth
These are not guaranteed, nor do they erase the pain of difficult experiences, but they remind us that adversity can plant the seeds of transformation and can inspire HOPE.
Making this leap isn’t easy. We can’t deep breathe, exercise or visualize our way out of chronic stress or PTSD. While these modalities may help, they may be especially impactful when combined with therapy from a licensed provider. Many companies offer Employee Assistance Programs that can help employees get the help and support they need… adopting a growth mindset can help.
The Role of Growth Mindset
Dr. Carol Dweck’s research on growth mindset reinforces this perspective. A fixed mindset says: “I can’t, I’ll never,” and feels more permanent. By contrast, a growth mindset views stress as temporary, sees it as an opportunity with phrases like, “I haven’t yet, but I can learn. I’m getting better and, this too shall pass.”
Henry Ford summarized it simply: “Whether you think you can or you can’t—you’re right.” The field of neuroscience and physiology have demonstrated that the body has the capacity to “go where the mind takes it.” A healthy reset can calm our physiology. Pay attention to your inner voice; is it helping or hurting? It’s your voice and, with help and intentionality, you can flip the script to one that’s more empowering.
In the same way, our beliefs about stress shape whether we experience post-traumatic distress or post-traumatic growth. It all starts with mindset.
Practical Ways to Foster a Growth Mindset:
- Reframe Your Self-Talk: Replace “I have to” with “I get to” or “I choose to.”
- Seek the Learning: Ask, What is this experience here to teach me?
- Strengthen Relationships: Lean into connection and community during difficult times.
- Honor Resilience: Recognize that surviving stress is itself a form of strength.
- Practice Gratitude: Even small acts of gratitude can shift brain chemistry toward optimism.
- Embrace the Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Journal Prompts for Reflection
- Reflect on a stressful or difficult experience. What positive changes (big or small) have emerged as a result?
- Which of the seven attributes of post-traumatic growth resonates most with you right now? Why?
- How do you typically talk to yourself about stress? How might you reframe your perspective?
- Think of a time when you surprised yourself with your own strength. What did that reveal about you?
- How could adopting a growth mindset help you transform current challenges into opportunities?
From Stress to Strength: Your Growth Journey
At Rudder Consulting, we help individuals and organizations harness resilience and transform adversity into growth. Whether you’re navigating organizational change or personal challenges, we believe in the potential for growth that lies on the other side of struggle.
- Leadership Development: Cultivate leaders who inspire resilience and optimism.
- Change Management Coaching: Turn organizational stress into a catalyst for innovation.
- Organizational Culture Transformation: Build environments where growth mindset and resilience are the norm.
Stress doesn’t have to break us—it can build us. Visit Rudder Consulting to learn how we can help you and your team transform setbacks into strength through the power of post-traumatic growth.
