#Resilience

A growing body of research shows that mental skills long used by elite athletes — visualization, targeted self-talk, layered goal-setting, quick physical resets and a focus on controllables — can measurably improve everyday performance, from public speaking to exams and even childbirth. A recent study of more than 44,000 participants found that brief training in sport psychology techniques helped people perform better against a computer-simulated opponent, underscoring that mental training yields benefits for nonathletes when practiced consistently. For Thai readers asking “What practical tools can I use today?” the short answer is: learn a few simple cue words, rehearse the most critical moments mentally, set tiered goals rather than a single do-or-die outcome, and build short physical rituals to reset after mistakes.

An OECD report released this spring warns that rapidly growing cities across Southeast Asia face a funding gap for green, resilient and inclusive urban development unless governments diversify financing instruments, strengthen subnational creditworthiness and crowd in private investment through targeted risk-sharing tools and project pipelines. The report, Financing Sustainable Cities in Southeast Asia: Diversifying Instruments and Leveraging Private Investment, focuses on the ASEAN‑5 — Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam — and argues that existing public budgets and traditional bank lending will not be enough to deliver mass transit, flood defences, clean water, affordable housing and low‑carbon energy at the speed cities need. The analysis, issued by the OECD and presented at regional events in April–May 2025, lays out practical steps for national and local policymakers to mobilise a broader mix of instruments — municipal bonds, green and sustainability bonds, blended finance facilities, public‑private partnerships with stronger safeguards, and value‑capture tools — while improving governance and transparency to make urban projects bankable for institutional investors (OECD report).

A groundbreaking OECD study released this spring delivers a stark warning that Southeast Asia’s rapidly expanding urban centers stand at a financial crossroads, with traditional funding mechanisms proving catastrophically inadequate for the green infrastructure revolution these cities desperately need. The comprehensive analysis, titled “Financing Sustainable Cities in Southeast Asia: Diversifying Instruments and Leveraging Private Investment,” focuses laser-sharp attention on the ASEAN-5 nations—Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam—revealing how conventional public budgets and standard banking relationships cannot possibly deliver the mass transit systems, flood protection networks, clean water infrastructure, affordable housing developments, and low-carbon energy installations these urban areas require at breakneck speed. International development experts who presented the OECD findings at high-level regional conferences throughout April and May 2025 outlined an ambitious roadmap requiring national and local policymakers to fundamentally restructure their approach to urban finance through innovative instruments including municipal bonds, green and sustainability-linked securities, sophisticated blended finance facilities, reformed public-private partnerships with enhanced social safeguards, and strategic value-capture mechanisms that improve governance transparency to make urban projects genuinely attractive to major institutional investors.

As rates of anxiety and related mental health issues continue to climb globally and locally, new research backed by the University of Cambridge and echoed by Thai mental health authorities points to novel coping strategies that may benefit the Thai public. Drawing on the latest international findings, actionable recommendations—like embracing imperfection, self-forgiveness, and fostering social connection—are gaining traction for their real-world impact on building mental strength and reducing anxiety’s grip.

Groundbreaking research from the University of Cambridge, combined with innovative approaches validated by Thai mental health authorities, has identified transformative strategies for managing anxiety that promise to revolutionize treatment approaches throughout Thailand. These science-backed interventions—emphasizing imperfection acceptance, self-compassion cultivation, and community connection—offer practical solutions for the growing mental health crisis affecting millions of Thai citizens across all demographics and socioeconomic levels.

Anxiety disorders, characterized by persistent worry, panic episodes, sleep disruption, and social withdrawal, affect the majority of individuals at some point during their lives, but become clinically significant when symptoms interfere with daily functioning, relationships, or professional productivity. For Thai communities, this represents an escalating concern with far-reaching implications: the Department of Mental Health reports that over 8% of the population experiences high stress levels, nearly 10% face depression risks, and more than 5% encounter suicide ideation, with youth demographics showing particularly alarming rates of psychological distress.

A surge in worldwide reports of workplace burnout, especially in high-pressure sectors like healthcare and technology, is sounding alarms for managers and employees in Thailand and beyond. According to the latest insight from a Harvard Business School executive, burnout is not a random occurrence—it strikes when three powerful forces collide: exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced efficacy. This framework, building on both organizational research and psychological science, challenges old assumptions about burnout and points toward new strategies for prevention and recovery (yourtango.com).

An epidemic of workplace burnout sweeps across Thailand’s rapidly modernizing economy, threatening the mental health of millions of workers from Bangkok’s gleaming towers to provincial hospitals and rural schools. Groundbreaking research from Harvard Business School executives reveals that burnout follows predictable patterns rather than striking randomly, emerging when three devastating psychological forces converge: profound exhaustion, growing cynicism, and diminishing sense of personal effectiveness—insights that offer hope for Thai families and organizations struggling with this invisible crisis.

Thai professionals, students, and families experiencing anxiety may possess an unexpected advantage, according to groundbreaking neuroscience research that fundamentally reframes this misunderstood emotion. Leading researchers now demonstrate that anxiety, rather than being merely an obstacle to overcome, contains profound potential for personal growth, enhanced productivity, and deeper empathy when properly understood and channeled through the brain’s remarkable capacity for neuroplasticity.

The emerging scientific perspective challenges decades of conventional thinking about anxiety management. Modern neuroscientists studying brain adaptation reveal that anxiety represents a sophisticated evolutionary alarm system designed to protect humans from uncertainty and danger. This ancient survival mechanism, while occasionally overwhelming in contemporary life, can be deliberately recalibrated to serve constructive purposes through targeted neuroplastic training techniques.

A groundbreaking shift in the understanding of anxiety is emerging, as leading neuroscientists and psychologists propose that this often-maligned emotion can actually be harnessed as a powerful tool for personal growth, productivity, and empathy. Recent research and expert perspectives, as detailed in a high-profile interview on Big Think (bigthink.com), reveal that anxiety, when approached with the right mindset and strategies, holds untapped potential rooted in the brain’s remarkable neuroplasticity.

For many Thais, anxiety is an unavoidable part of daily life. From concerns about academic performance and job security to health worries and the pressures of rapid social change, this emotion has become even more pronounced amidst the lingering repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic. The global upsurge in anxiety is not unique to Thailand; however, the latest discoveries offer hope and practical guidance for turning this challenge into an advantage.

A new wave of research and expert insight is putting the spotlight on parental influence as a key factor in raising confident, resilient children in today’s climate of cultural confusion over gender and identity. Recent commentary by an educational psychologist and child development expert, featured in a July 2025 WORLD Radio podcast, underscores that parents play a far greater role than often believed in helping their children navigate questions about identity, belonging, and self-worth, even as external voices grow louder and more complex (wng.org).

Student mental health has become a pressing issue at universities worldwide, prompting critical debate over how much responsibility higher education institutions should bear for their students’ psychological wellbeing. Recent research, high-profile court cases, and unprecedented demand for support services are driving reforms both abroad and in Thailand—yet students, parents, and experts alike continue to wrestle with what “duty of care” means in practice and how it can be sustainably achieved.

A new study has uncovered that people with an optimistic outlook actually share similar patterns of brain activity when imagining the future—a finding that may shed new light on why “positive thinking” often leads to social success and resilience. Conducted by researchers at Kobe University in Japan and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the research used MRI scans to demonstrate that optimists tend to process future events using a shared neural framework, specifically in the medial prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain associated with future-oriented thought (The Guardian).

The latest research and expert perspectives suggest that the quest for life’s meaning should not be treated as a puzzle to solve, but instead as an ongoing practice to engage with uncertainty, difficulty, and change. This reframing could be crucial for Thais navigating life transitions—whether it’s a recent graduate adjusting to post-academic life, a retiree redefining purpose, or anyone feeling lost after losing familiar routines. According to leading behavioral scientists, the path to meaning is not linear or formulaic, but deeply connected to our ability to adapt, reflect, and build coherence from ever-changing experiences (Big Think).

The myth that waking up at 5 a.m. is the golden ticket to success has long dominated social media feeds, with influencers and productivity gurus touting early morning routines as essential for achieving peak performance. However, recent research and expert interviews suggest that true mental strength isn’t about clock-watching at dawn—it’s about aligning daily habits with personal biology, flexible routines, and conscious energy management. For Thai readers searching for practical, science-backed strategies to improve productivity and well-being, the latest findings shine a light on a more balanced, adaptable pathway to success.

Recent research is reshaping long-held beliefs about trauma, revealing that the true determinant of whether an experience becomes traumatizing is not the event itself, but rather the individual’s subjective perception and ability to process what happened. This insight comes at a critical time, as mental health awareness grows in Thailand and globally, highlighting the importance of individualized support for those affected by trauma.

Traditionally, trauma has been linked directly to objectively severe events—violent assaults, natural disasters, serious accidents, or frontline combat. The prevailing assumption was that those who endured these “major” traumas were destined to suffer lasting psychological wounds like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, compelling new findings, as discussed in the latest analysis in Psychology Today, suggest a more nuanced reality: what makes an experience truly traumatizing is rooted in the brain’s ability—or inability—to process and adapt to the emotional impact of the event, regardless of its objective severity (Psychology Today).

Amid an alarming surge in job cuts across the United States in 2025, a new wave of layoff anxiety is sweeping through the workforce, driving Americans to work harder but ultimately burning out faster, experts warn. A recent CNBC report highlights the unprecedented level of job insecurity: nearly 700,000 layoffs were reported in the first five months of the year—an 80% spike compared to the same period in 2024—leaving 46% of workers worried about their future employment and exposing stark psychological tolls (CNBC).

Asia is experiencing a rapid acceleration in climate change, warming at twice the rate of the global average, according to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). This alarming trend, highlighted in the WMO’s latest assessment released in June 2025, points to sweeping and devastating impacts for millions across the continent—including Thailand—underscoring urgent calls for adaptation and resilience measures.

For Thai readers, this news is particularly significant given the country’s vulnerability to heat waves, shifting rainfall patterns, and sea-level rise. Thailand, with its extensive agricultural sector and dense urban populations near coasts and rivers, stands at the frontline of Asia’s climate crisis.

A new wave of psychological research and discussions in recent days has reignited public interest in how unresolved childhood trauma shapes adult behavior. Building on expert opinions shared by psychologists and recent systematic reviews published in respected medical journals, it has become increasingly clear that adverse experiences in early life can leave lasting emotional imprints, often presenting as distinctive patterns in adulthood. This issue is not only relevant to those impacted directly but carries broader significance for Thai society, as mental health awareness steadily grows and stigma around seeking psychological assistance begins to fade.

A new wave of anxiety is sweeping through Generation Alpha, children born after 2013, according to recent research highlighted by Psychology Today (psychologytoday.com). Surprisingly, smart devices and the relentless pursuit of daily convenience—rather than screen time alone—may be fueling this phenomenon. This research is significant for Thai families and educators as it points to a broader transformation in childhood resilience, skills that are critical for success and well-being in a rapidly changing world.

A groundbreaking new study from the University of Missouri has found that hope, not happiness or gratitude, is the key emotional force underpinning a sense of meaning in life. This discovery challenges widely held beliefs about the drivers of well-being and suggests far-reaching implications for mental health and resilience, both globally and here in Thailand.

Traditionally, happiness and gratitude have been at the centre of discussions on how to lead a good and satisfying life. Thai society, with its deep reverence for “sanuk” (enjoyment) and frequent encouragement of “kreng jai” (gratitude and social harmony), echoes these themes. However, the latest research reveals that while these feelings are valuable, it is hope—the forward-looking expectation that things can improve—that gives life its deepest sense of purpose and direction (Earth.com; Show Me Mizzou).

A groundbreaking new study from the University of Missouri-Columbia has found that hope—rather than happiness, excitement, or even gratitude—is the most powerful positive emotion predicting the sense of meaning in life. The research, spanning six separate studies and over 2,300 participants, challenges decades of conventional wisdom about what truly underpins psychological well-being and offers actionable insights for fostering resilience, both globally and here in Thailand.

For many years, psychology has positioned hope chiefly as wishful thinking or simply a cognitive tool to help in achieving future goals. However, this new analysis, led by researchers from Mizzou’s Department of Psychological Sciences and supported by a broad international team, reveals that hope functions as a unique, emotional cornerstone capable of enriching life’s meaning beyond fleeting moments of happiness. As shared by the study’s lead researcher, now a postdoctoral scholar at Duke University, “Our research shifts the perspective on hope from merely a cognitive process related to goal attainment to recognizing it as a vital emotional experience that enriches life’s meaning.” (Neuroscience News)

A new report highlights eight practical habits, grounded in modern psychological research, that set apart people who consistently move forward in personal and professional life. Published on June 15, 2025, by VegOut Magazine, the article draws insights from decades of psychological studies, refracting them through relatable daily routines and tangible strategies anyone can adopt. For Thai readers, where persistence and resilience are core values, this timely research offers both inspiration and scientifically validated methods to thrive amid daily pressures, changing job markets, and social uncertainty (vegoutmag.com).

A wave of recent psychology research is challenging traditional ideas about mental toughness, revealing that some of the world’s most mentally resilient individuals aren’t necessarily those with the hardest exteriors, but those who have mastered a unique set of skills. Compiled from years of scientific insight and Buddhist practice, a new article published by VegOut Magazine has laid out eight powerful signs that you may be mentally stronger than 95% of people—a message that holds special resonance in the high-pressure, rapidly evolving landscape of Thai society today (vegoutmag.com).

Simple daily activities—such as admiring a blooming flower, sharing a laugh with a friend, or even doing a quick act of kindness—can significantly improve emotional well-being and help people feel more in control of their happiness, according to a groundbreaking study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). The findings, derived from an expansive multi-year project, suggest that micro-moments of joy may offer a surprisingly effective recipe for boosting mood and resilience, with particular promise for those facing social or financial difficulties.