A new study from Binghamton University released on Mar. 17 finds that healthy habits such as eating breakfast, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep are linked to greater psychological flexibility and improved mental resilience.
The research highlights the importance of psychological flexibility—the ability to adapt thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in response to changing situations. This trait helps individuals manage stress more effectively by allowing them to step back, process their emotions, and respond constructively rather than becoming overwhelmed.
"You might know someone who stays cool under pressure," said Lina Begdache, associate professor of health and wellness studies at Binghamton University and lead author of the study. "The kind of person who misses a flight and, instead of panicking, calmly adapts to the situation. This person may still feel stressed, but they're better able to manage it through psychological flexibility."
Begdache explained that people often refer to these individuals as resilient but noted that psychological flexibility is what enables them to change their thinking about stressful situations and use their brain's resources to handle stress. The study involved an anonymous survey of around 400 college students about their diet, sleep patterns, exercise frequency, and other lifestyle factors. Results showed that consistent healthy habits enhance psychological flexibility which strengthens mental resilience.
In contrast, the researchers found that low psychological flexibility—characterized by rigid thinking or behavior—is associated with poor habits like frequent fast-food consumption and insufficient sleep. "When we're under stress, we feel like we fuse with the stress. We live the stress. But psychological flexibility is like stepping back and thinking, 'I feel this because of that. What can I do?' Identifying your emotions sometimes helps you find the solution for these emotions," said Begdache.
Previous work by Begdache demonstrated that high-quality diets boost resilience while poor diets reduce it; this latest research adds that psychological flexibility is the pathway through which diet and lifestyle influence resilience. "The new finding here is that diet and lifestyle don't just make you resilient by themselves. They help you build the psychological flexibility, which, in turn, makes you a resilient person," she said.
