Imagine two people training for a 5k. One jogs three times a week, the other hasn’t run since primary school. We all know who is ‘fitter’, but they weren’t ‘born that way’ - the advantage is down to training. Emotional fitness is the same. ‘Physical fitness is an ability to take on a challenge without feeling excessively fatigued,’ says Chris Johnstone, author of Seven Ways To Build Resilience: Strengthening Your Ability To Deal With Difficult Times (Robinson, £14.99). ‘That applies to emotional challenges, too. Somebody who is emotionally fitter would get through a stressful day at work, a disappointment or a setback more easily.’
It’s not the case that you either have it or you don’t, either. ‘Some people have genes that make them better able to run, some have genes that make them better able to deal with anxiety, but whatever your starting point, learnable skills and regular practice can help you respond to challenges better,’ says Johnstone
“After a slip-up, tell yourself, ‘I don’t get it right every time,’ and move on”