How does “Yes, and?” The mentality helps to build durability – by a psychologist

From economic downturn and socio -political sadness in health and personal loss, life throws a challenge volleyball. To protect and enhance our well -being, building mental durability is the key.

The durability is the ability to face challenges headed, browse through difficult times and bounce behind the other side. It is also the ability to adjust, learn and develop from the challenges that come to us.

Research Published in Newspaper of creativity in mental health It shows that a way of cultivation is through creative expression, which can help people process complex wounds and convey emotions when words are left. Art, narrative and other expressive techniques can also encourage deeper emotional connections and confidence.

Interestingly, one of the most powerful tools for building durability can come from an unexpected place: improvisational theater.

‘Yes, and’ philosophy

In Improv, artists create scenes together by accepting any reality to them (“yes”) and then adding to it (“and”).

Imagine taking unexpectedly hard feedback from your manager, leaving you frustrated. You could deal with why they “destroyed your day” – or you could ask yourself, “Yes, and?” And go ahead. You can recognize the comments (“yes”) and then use it to improve your work if required (“and”), continuing with your day preventively.

In the theater, this simple rule maintains live scenes, causing cooperation and innovation. It is applied to life, the same principle can turn the failures into stones.

Why “Yes, and?” Is a powerful treatment mechanism

Treatment mechanisms are the ways in which people deal with stress and adversity. Everyone faces different and how effective it is for each method to depend on the person and the situation. According to research published The Magazine of Psychology In 2015, the three main types are:

1. Oriented to work. This is a method that helps resistant people to remain positive and be motivated by focusing on problem solving measures.
2. Treatment oriented to emotion. This treatment mechanism focuses on managing emotions, often through expression or emotion processing. However, sometimes it includes rumination or yourself, which can aggravate one’s mood.
3. Avoiding Treatment oriented. Some people use distractions or pleasant activities to temporarily escape stress. While this method can enhance the mood of the short term, it may not help with long -term durability.

Among these forms of treatment, work -oriented treatment tends to be the most effective in building durability because it encourages preventive problem solving. However, “Yes, and?” The approach uniquely incorporates the advantages of all three treatment mechanisms. It combines acceptance, adaptability and action, creating a flexible context that helps people creatively browse adversity.

Here’s how to use it in your daily life:

1. Recognize the reality (say “yes”). The durability begins with the acceptance of what is happening. TREATMENT PROBLEMS – “This should not happen!” – rejects energy and creates more stress. Saying “Yes, this is happening” helps you deal with reality. For example:

• Lost your job? Recognize the present by saying, “Yes, fired.”
• Facing a health challenge? Recognize your feelings by saying, “Yes, this is painful and scary.”

Recognizing the truth helps you honor your emotional experience and move from denial so you can make significant action.

2. Expand the capabilities (ask “and?”). As soon as you accept the reality, the next step is to ask, “and what now?” This shifts you from passive discomfort to active problem solving.

• In the case of job loss, say to yourself, “Yes, it happened and now I can explore other avenues or industries.”
• In the context of poor health or a sudden health challenge, complete the feeling with: “Yes, this is difficult and I can adapt my routine to work with it.”

3. Get a decisive action. The issue of “and?” promotes you forward. Now, ask yourself, “What is my check? What is the smallest next step I can take?” This may look like:

• “I have lost my job and I can start with updating my resume.”
• “I am shocked and I can take a short walk or call a friend to clean my head.”

4. Stay flexible. Resistant people are adapted. If one plan fails, they ask, “and what else could it work?” Like the actors who adapt to maintain their narrative narrative, flexibility helps you find new solutions.

See how you could be more flexible in the aforementioned scenarios:

• “I didn’t get this job and I can consider free work.”
• “This treatment is not working and I can investigate other healthcare options.”

Why this mentality works in difficult times

This approach builds durability by helping people fully recognize reality while looking for active ways forward. At its core, it shifts our focus from home to problems in discovering solutions. Instead of getting stuck by asking “why am I?”, We start asking “what next?” turn obstacles into opportunities for action and treatment.

This philosophy naturally promotes flexibility in difficult times. When we practice the circumstances as they are, then we rely on them, we train ourselves to adapt rather than to resist the change.

What makes this approach particularly strong is how it restores the sense of our service. While we cannot control any occasion, we always control how we respond. The simple act of saying “and” after recognizing a challenge forces us to look at our choices by turning the inability to empower.

The mentality also reduces the paralytic fear of failure, remodeling failures as part of the ongoing narrative of life rather than final ending. Every “and” becomes a bridge in the next step, creating a momentum that naturally rebuilding trust. Restrictions stop being restrictions and begin to serve as catalysts for creative solutions – as well as improvisational actors turn random suggestions into coherent scenes.

Finally, “Yes, and?” It works because it reflects how resilience develops: through acceptance, adaptation and continuous forward movement. By doing this practical conscious, we equip ourselves to browse the uncertainty with greater clarity and creativity.

How well do you handle the challenges of life? Take this test supported by science to find out: Short scale of sturdy