Personal Growth
Founder and Psychologist
by Dr. Elisha Goldstein
“Resilience isn’t about avoiding difficulty – it’s about meeting life’s challenges with strength and clarity.” – Melli O’Brien
We discuss:
00:00 – What is Emotional Longevity & Why It Matters
00:46 – Melli’s Crisis: The Moment That Changed Everything
05:00 – From Struggle to Strength: The Journey to Mindfulness
08:56 – Heartbreak, Illness & Finding Deep Resilience
13:01 – The Birth of the Deep Resilience Method
17:09 – The Power of Self-Compassion in Healing
21:04 – The RISE Framework: Recognizing & Regulating Emotions
29:54 – How to Reframe Thoughts & Shift Perspective
31:00 – The Role of Mindfulness in Everyday Life
35:52 – Connecting to Your Values for Greater Resilience
40:05 – Overcoming Fear & Taking Empowered Action
45:54 – Using Resilience to Navigate Personal Crises
52:05 – Daily Practices to Strengthen Emotional Well-being
54:11 – The True Essence of Deep Resilience
Resilience isn’t just about bouncing back—it’s about growing through what we go through. Whether it’s a personal loss, a setback, or just the overwhelm of daily life, we all face moments that test us. And sometimes, even after years of inner work, those moments can still shake us.
In this episode of The Emotional Longevity Podcast, I sit down with Melli O’Brien, mindfulness teacher and author of Deep Resilience, to talk about what it really means to meet life’s challenges with strength, self-compassion, and clarity.
Why We Struggle (Even When We’ve Done the Inner Work)
Melli shares how even as a mindfulness teacher, there were moments when life knocked her down—losing loved ones, facing chronic illness, and navigating uncertainty. “I realized that resilience isn’t just about getting through hard times—it’s about knowing how to meet them with presence and courage,” she says.
She developed the RISE Method, a four-step approach to resilience:
- Recognize & Regulate – Notice emotional patterns and learn to calm your nervous system.
- Inhabit the Present Moment – Find stability through mindfulness.
- Stay Connected to Your Values – Let your core values guide you.
- Engage in Empowered Action – Take meaningful steps forward, even in uncertainty.
A Simple Practice for Hard Moments
One of Melli’s most powerful tools is the Drop the Anchor practice—bringing awareness to the soles of your feet, taking a deep breath, and feeling your connection to the ground. “It’s a small shift that creates immediate stability,” she explains.
When overwhelm hits, this practice helps you pause, regulate, and respond with intention instead of reacting from fear.
How This Applies to Everyone (Not Just During Crisis)
Resilience isn’t just for life’s big challenges – it helps in everyday stress, too. Whether it’s work pressure, relationship struggles, or moments of self-doubt, the way we meet those experiences shapes our emotional longevity.
Stress & Anxiety – Regulate your nervous system before burnout. Emotional Longevity – Stay grounded instead of getting lost in overwhelm. Resilience & Well-Being – Build inner strength, so you don’t just survive—you thrive.
Final Thoughts: Resilience is a Skill, Not Just a Trait
If you’re feeling stuck, I hope this conversation brings new possibilities. You’re not alone, and there’s always a path forward.
For more, check out Melli’s book Deep Resilience, and visit her at melliobrien.com.
If you found this conversation inspiring or useful, I’d love for you to consider one other person who could benefit from this message and share it with them. They can listen to this episode of The Emotional Longevity Podcast or read this blog.
Want to go deeper? I invite you to explore my Emotional Health Coaching Program, Uncover the Power Within offers tools and support to help you cultivate resilience and healing in all areas of life.
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Take care of yourself – inside and out.