4 Ways To Strengthen Your 'Psychological Immune System'

You probably have some idea about how to help your immune system. Eating well, exercising, and getting enough of certain vitamins can help.

But what about your “psychological immune system”? 

The term, which was first coined in the ’90s, suggests our minds could have protective mechanisms, including cognitive “antibodies,” similar to those which protect us from phsyical disease.

Here, we asked Dr William Van Gordon, Associate Professor in Contemplative Psychology at the University of Derby, what the term means, as well as how to strengthen ours. 

What is the “psychological immune system”? 

“The psychological immune system is a concept developed by psychologists Daniel Gilbert and Timothy Wilson in the late 1990s.

“It describes the brain’s automatic, largely unconscious defences that protect emotional well-being in the face of negative events, much like how the physical immune system fights pathogens,” Dr Van Gordon told us. 

Some feel that having a stronger “psychological immune system” can help us to weather negative events, even those you anticipate would be devastating.

“These processes help us to reframe setbacks positively, restore self-worth, diminish the intensity and duration of distress, and recover more quickly than we typically predict,” the professor added. 

“We often overestimate how devastated we will feel after failures, rejections, or losses because we underestimate this built-in resilience system.” 

How can I boost my “psychological immune system”? 

Dr Van Gordon shared “four strategies that can strengthen your psychological immune system and improve emotional recovery and calmness”. 

These are: 

1) Shift from negative to neutral

 “Counter the brain’s natural negativity bias by deliberately moving toward a balanced, neutral perspective rather than trying to force positivity,” the professor said. 

Our mind’s negativity bias means we pay more attention to negative thoughts and experiences than we do positive ones, potentially skewing our views.

“Use simple grounding tools such as brief mantras (‘This too shall pass’), short gratitude reflections, recalling times you’ve overcome similar challenges, or slow diaphragmatic breathing to calm the nervous system.”

2) Anchor in the present

“Focus attention on what is controllable right now to interrupt rumination about the past or anxiety about the future,” said the expert.

“Build small daily habits of mindfulness (for example, one to two minutes of breath awareness), protect sleep quality to restore cognitive clarity, and create routines that break negative thought loops and restore motivation, such as morning journaling or quick walks.” 

3) Reconnect with meaning and purpose 

“When adversity strikes, reframe the situation through your core values or long-term goals; for example, by viewing a difficult experience as an opportunity to grow skills or character,” he continued.

Having a longer-term sense of purpose has been linked to greater longevity, mental health benefits aside.

“Practise self-compassion, seek trusted perspectives from others, or visualise how the challenge fits into a bigger, meaningful picture.”

4) Practise healthy acceptance

“Allow difficult emotions to arise without suppression or denial, especially after significant loss or trauma,” Dr Van Gordon ended. 

“Recognise that feelings such as sadness or anger carry important signals; treat yourself kindly during the process and, if distress persists, consider professional support rather than forcing ‘positive thinking’ alone.”