February 18, 2025 • 14 mins
In this episode of Resilience Gone Wild, host Jessica Morgenthal dives into the incredible world of tardigrades, also known as water bears or moss piglets—tiny creatures that redefine resilience. These microscopic marvels can survive in some of the most extreme environments, from the vacuum of space to boiling temperatures and deep-sea pressures. They can hibernate for up to 30 years, bouncing back to life when conditions improve.
Jessica breaks down what makes tardigrades the ultimate survivors, uncovering their unique proteins that protect their DNA, their use of trehalose to prevent cellular damage, and what we can learn from their ability to adapt and endure. She also explores the three P’s of resilience—pervasive, permanent, and personal, helping us reframe challenges and develop a stronger, more optimistic mindset. Finally, the episode highlights the importance of conservation efforts and continued scientific research on extremophiles like tardigrades, which could hold the key to breakthroughs in medicine, space travel, and climate adaptation.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:05):
Welcome to resilience gone wild, where we dive
into the incredible stories of nature's adaptation and
survival
and discover what animals and plants can teach
us about resilience and building our win win
win mindset.
I'm your host, Jessica Morgenthal,
(00:27):
a resilience and positive psychology trainer, teacher, author,
speaker, coach and consultant.
And today, we're talking about hunkering down in
stressful times like the super resilient target grades.
(00:49):
The bright sun is rising over Mount Everest
in the Himalayas.
It's early summer and harsh conditions continue to
define the highest point on Earth, over 29,000
feet of pure rock and ice. The oxygen
starved air, frigid temperatures,
limited liquid water,
unpredictable
storms,
blustery winds, and intense UV radiation
(01:12):
mean only the most resilient,
adaptable, and extraordinary
life can survive.
A few hundred microscopic
tardigrades are waking up from their long winter
nap atop a rare and tiny patch of
moss that has also survived the punishing environment.
The blazing sun is peeking through the clouds
(01:34):
into this micro habitat,
melting just enough ice to rehydrate the tardigrades
and expose some food sources like algae, bacteria,
fungi, and other microscopic invertebrates.
Also known as water bears and moss piglets,
tardigrades are one of the most resilient organisms
(01:56):
on Earth.
When times are tough, they can morph into
alternative states to hunker down and wait for
as much as thirty years for better conditions.
Pretty astonishing for an organism that typically only
lives for a few months to a few
years when they're in an active state.
Tardigrades are known as extremophiles
(02:17):
because they can survive environments that most others
can't. They use a combination of biochemical and
physiological strategies to protect their cellular structures.
When there's no water, they enter the state
of cryptobiosis,
drying out completely and losing almost all of
their body weight, curling into a ton spelled
t u n, a dehydrated
(02:39):
barrel shaped state and slowing their metabolism to
a near halt, allowing it to survive extreme
heat, cold radiation and desiccation.
They can move in and out of this
hibernation state because tardigrades have unique proteins that
protect their DNA and cellular structures from damage,
helping them to survive extreme conditions.
They produce a sugar called trehalose,
(03:01):
which replaces the water in their cells,
forming a glass like structure that prevents cellular
damage.
They ramp up antioxidant production to neutralize harmful
free radicals that can damage their DNA and
cellular components.
They have highly effective DNA repair proteins
to mend breaks and other damage to the
DNA and damage suppressor proteins to protect from
(03:22):
radiation and desiccation.
No wonder scientists are working hard to learn
about these miraculous
resilience capabilities
to improve human aging challenges.
Incredibly,
there are 1,300
species and counting
of this extraordinary animal you've probably never heard
of. They are found in the most extreme
(03:45):
environments and temperatures from boiling deep sea vents
on the ocean floor
to oxygen deprived peaks like Mount Everest, to
temperatures as low as minus 328
degrees Fahrenheit in the polar regions, to the
driest and hottest deserts to outer space, where
they have survived and even reproduced
after exposure to the vacuum and radiation.
(04:12):
Tardigrades are tiny superheroes of the microscopic world.
These adorable little creatures,
usually only point three to 1.5
micrometers
in size,
are too small to see without a powerful
zoom camera or a trusty microscope.
But once you get a closer look, you'll
be amazed.
Picture a cute flat face, a sectional body
(04:34):
and four sets of stubby little legs with
tiny claws or sticky pads
perfect for moving around their environment.
Tardigrades have been around for over five hundred
million years
and have survived the first five mass extinctions.
Hopefully, they'll continue to thrive despite the challenges
we humans are creating with future extinctions.
(04:55):
These resilient little creatures are truly nature's wonders.
What shall we learn from our super resilient
tardigrade friends?
(05:16):
Sometimes it can feel too hard to face
the day, the news, the pain, the sadness,
the loss,
the decisions,
the overwhelm,
And all we want to do is hunker
down and hide.
When you can't change the world around you
and life feels just too tough,
do like the tardigrades
and hunker down so you can endure the
(05:37):
tough times with patience and perseverance.
Focus your energy to just keep going on
your purpose path, shutting out all the stuff
you can that's causing you stress and exhaustion.
Do the least you need to do to
maintain your strength without resorting to sucking up
anyone else's energy.
When you use creativity and innovation to solve
(05:58):
problems with the resources at hand, you can
overcome obstacles and find solutions where none seem
possible.
Sometimes we just need to step back, tune
out and take a break from the world
of darkness,
anger and fear, and focus on rejuvenating and
recharging so we can return to our challenges
with renewed energy and perspective.
(06:20):
It can be a great time to reflect
on the difficult situation,
to gain insights and lessons, and dig into
your resourcefulness to come out stronger for future
challenges.
Growth comes from overcoming adversity.
That is resilience.
And like the tardigrades, protect yourself so your
body and mind don't crumble or shatter.
Set boundaries and stick to them. Maybe it's
(06:42):
committing to staying off social media or not
watching the news or drawing a boundary around
a toxic person that has infiltrated your life.
Maybe you've been struggling with some tough personal
and or family challenges,
and you've been trying to hold everything and
everyone together.
Sometimes we just need to hunker down and
do like the tardigrades.
Take a break and move away from the
(07:03):
center of negative energy.
Recharge and be on the lookout for a
good time to reemerge.
What's coming up for you now? What's happening
in your life that seems too overwhelming to
handle?
Jot down some notes. Get some of the
negative energy and clutter out of your mind
and onto paper where it's easier to take
on.
(07:24):
There's a simple mantra that you can hold
on to in tough times, which will give
you the strength to rejuvenate and face life
again in a positive light. It's all about
the three P's
pervasive,
permanent,
and personal.
These are cognitive distortions identified by positive psychology
founder Martin Seligman in his work on learned
(07:44):
helplessness and resilience.
Understanding these concepts and that struggles are not
defined by them can help us develop a
more optimistic and resilient mindset.
The first p, pervasive, is about believing that
a negative event affects all aspects of our
life, leading to a feeling of overall defeat
and negative identity.
(08:06):
Like if you forget to pay a bill
on time, you think I always forget everything.
If you spill a drink, you believe you
are always clumsy.
If you can't figure something out, you tell
yourself you can never figure anything out.
All these definitions become negative pieces of your
identity.
Instead, reframe to the positive.
(08:26):
Recognize the challenges are often specific
and compartmentalize
them to help you maintain a balanced perspective
and shift your pervasive judgments of others too.
You don't know their story.
That's how we get into trouble with unfair
bias and stereotyping.
One disrespectful teenager and we lump them all
together and define their generation.
(08:48):
Challenge pervasive thinking.
Nothing applies to everyone or everything.
The second P, permanent,
is about the belief that negative events are
forever and unchangeable.
When you view a setback as a permanent
state, it leads to hopelessness
and a lack of motivation to improve the
(09:08):
situation.
After a breakup, you think I'll never find
love again. After a loss of trust in
a relationship,
you see the friendship as lost forever.
Forgiveness is impossible.
Instead, begin to understand that most difficulties are
temporary and can be overcome with time and
effort.
You can instead take positive action to move
(09:29):
forward.
Although there are some things in life that
are forever,
the way you think about them is not.
Loss of a loved one or the capacity
to do something you always loved may be
gone, but your memories and new opportunities will
always be there.
The last p is personal,
(09:50):
and this is all about the tendency to
internalize negative events and attribute them to personal
failings, which leads to excessive self blame,
shame and lower self esteem.
If a project you're working on fails, you
think this is all my fault because I'm
incompetent.
Instead of considering external factors at play, a
(10:10):
positive reframe is recognizing that not everything is
in your control.
It's a time to learn from the experience
so you can gain more control of those
outside factors next time and accept what you
can't control.
Do like the tardigrades in tough times, shifting
your perspective and build up your resilience tools.
Do like the tardigrades
(10:30):
in tough times. Shift your perspective and build
your resilience tools so you can better cope
with all those bumps in the road that
are part of life.
Grab those notes you made earlier about the
overwhelming challenges,
fears,
lack of control, or whatever is exhausting you,
(10:50):
and work through the situation using the three
P's. When you feel you've been knocked down
by life's struggles, remember that it's not pervasive.
It doesn't affect everything. This is just one
area of my life.
It's not permanent.
This too will change. It's temporary and will
improve,
sometimes on its own and more often with
(11:10):
time and effort.
It's not personal. It's not all your fault.
These are external factors out of my control
and I can learn from this. And if
you have a friend or loved one that
would benefit from this idea of the three
P's,
share this episode with them right now.
Just hit pause and find the share button
to send via text. I'm sure they will
(11:32):
be grateful.
And let's not forget about our tardigrade friends.
They're so important for scientific research as their
unique adaptations for surviving extreme conditions
are helping scientists to understand the mechanisms of
stress resistance.
This is leading to other applications in biotechnology,
medicine, and space exploration. Their ability to enter
(11:53):
the suspended animation state of cryptobiosis
is providing valuable insights into how life can
survive in harsh environments,
informing research into preserving biological materials
and developing new technologies.
And the resilience in space makes them interesting
to astrobiologists,
trying to figure out how life might survive
or travel between planets.
(12:14):
And tardigrades are part of so many ecosystems
contributing to nutrient cycles and playing a role
in the food web by feeding on microorganisms.
So let's take care of the health of
our planet through conservation efforts to protect natural
habitats,
reducing pollution and chemical runoff,
supporting scientific research and funding for studies on
extremophiles, including tardigrades.
(12:39):
Thank you for listening to resilience gone wild,
where we dive into the incredible stories of
nature's adaptation and survival
and discover what animals and plants can teach
us about resilience
and building our win win win mindset.
We've got a little favor to ask.
Read and review us on your favorite podcast
platform.
(12:59):
Your feedback not only helps us improve, but
also helps other listeners discover these amazing stories
and build up their own resilience
for a win win win for
all. Think of it as shining some sunlight
to enable fellow nature enthusiasts to live in
resilient joy. We'll pick a lucky reviewer to
receive a special shout out on the show
(13:20):
and a chance to ask a question to
one of our expert guests.
So tap those stars,
write a review, and help us keep the
spirit of resilience alive and well. I hope
you'll post a comment,
subscribe to my newsletter,
and drop me an email. Maybe we'll read
it on the show. It would be so
much fun to connect.
So long for now.
(13:45):
This has been a production of BLI Studios
produced by me, Kai. Follow along with our
other BLI produced shows at balancinglife'sissues.com/podcast-BLI.
Got an idea for the show? Email me,
Kai, at balancing life's issues dot com. And
don't forget to stay in touch with your
host, Jessica, at jessica@winwinwinmindset.com.
(14:05):
Anything else to add, Miles?
Welcome to resilience gone wild, where we dive
into the incredible stories of nature's adaptation and
survival
and discover what animals and plants can teach
us about resilience and building our win win
win mindset.
I'm your host, Jessica Morgenthal,
(00:27):
a resilience and positive psychology trainer, teacher, author,
speaker, coach and consultant.
And today, we're talking about hunkering down in
stressful times like the super resilient target grades.
(00:49):
The bright sun is rising over Mount Everest
in the Himalayas.
It's early summer and harsh conditions continue to
define the highest point on Earth, over 29,000
feet of pure rock and ice. The oxygen
starved air, frigid temperatures,
limited liquid water,
unpredictable
storms,
blustery winds, and intense UV radiation
(01:12):
mean only the most resilient,
adaptable, and extraordinary
life can survive.
A few hundred microscopic
tardigrades are waking up from their long winter
nap atop a rare and tiny patch of
moss that has also survived the punishing environment.
The blazing sun is peeking through the clouds
(01:34):
into this micro habitat,
melting just enough ice to rehydrate the tardigrades
and expose some food sources like algae, bacteria,
fungi, and other microscopic invertebrates.
Also known as water bears and moss piglets,
tardigrades are one of the most resilient organisms
(01:56):
on Earth.
When times are tough, they can morph into
alternative states to hunker down and wait for
as much as thirty years for better conditions.
Pretty astonishing for an organism that typically only
lives for a few months to a few
years when they're in an active state.
Tardigrades are known as extremophiles
(02:17):
because they can survive environments that most others
can't. They use a combination of biochemical and
physiological strategies to protect their cellular structures.
When there's no water, they enter the state
of cryptobiosis,
drying out completely and losing almost all of
their body weight, curling into a ton spelled
t u n, a dehydrated
(02:39):
barrel shaped state and slowing their metabolism to
a near halt, allowing it to survive extreme
heat, cold radiation and desiccation.
They can move in and out of this
hibernation state because tardigrades have unique proteins that
protect their DNA and cellular structures from damage,
helping them to survive extreme conditions.
They produce a sugar called trehalose,
(03:01):
which replaces the water in their cells,
forming a glass like structure that prevents cellular
damage.
They ramp up antioxidant production to neutralize harmful
free radicals that can damage their DNA and
cellular components.
They have highly effective DNA repair proteins
to mend breaks and other damage to the
DNA and damage suppressor proteins to protect from
(03:22):
radiation and desiccation.
No wonder scientists are working hard to learn
about these miraculous
resilience capabilities
to improve human aging challenges.
Incredibly,
there are 1,300
species and counting
of this extraordinary animal you've probably never heard
of. They are found in the most extreme
(03:45):
environments and temperatures from boiling deep sea vents
on the ocean floor
to oxygen deprived peaks like Mount Everest, to
temperatures as low as minus 328
degrees Fahrenheit in the polar regions, to the
driest and hottest deserts to outer space, where
they have survived and even reproduced
after exposure to the vacuum and radiation.
(04:12):
Tardigrades are tiny superheroes of the microscopic world.
These adorable little creatures,
usually only point three to 1.5
micrometers
in size,
are too small to see without a powerful
zoom camera or a trusty microscope.
But once you get a closer look, you'll
be amazed.
Picture a cute flat face, a sectional body
(04:34):
and four sets of stubby little legs with
tiny claws or sticky pads
perfect for moving around their environment.
Tardigrades have been around for over five hundred
million years
and have survived the first five mass extinctions.
Hopefully, they'll continue to thrive despite the challenges
we humans are creating with future extinctions.
(04:55):
These resilient little creatures are truly nature's wonders.
What shall we learn from our super resilient
tardigrade friends?
(05:16):
Sometimes it can feel too hard to face
the day, the news, the pain, the sadness,
the loss,
the decisions,
the overwhelm,
And all we want to do is hunker
down and hide.
When you can't change the world around you
and life feels just too tough,
do like the tardigrades
and hunker down so you can endure the
(05:37):
tough times with patience and perseverance.
Focus your energy to just keep going on
your purpose path, shutting out all the stuff
you can that's causing you stress and exhaustion.
Do the least you need to do to
maintain your strength without resorting to sucking up
anyone else's energy.
When you use creativity and innovation to solve
(05:58):
problems with the resources at hand, you can
overcome obstacles and find solutions where none seem
possible.
Sometimes we just need to step back, tune
out and take a break from the world
of darkness,
anger and fear, and focus on rejuvenating and
recharging so we can return to our challenges
with renewed energy and perspective.
(06:20):
It can be a great time to reflect
on the difficult situation,
to gain insights and lessons, and dig into
your resourcefulness to come out stronger for future
challenges.
Growth comes from overcoming adversity.
That is resilience.
And like the tardigrades, protect yourself so your
body and mind don't crumble or shatter.
Set boundaries and stick to them. Maybe it's
(06:42):
committing to staying off social media or not
watching the news or drawing a boundary around
a toxic person that has infiltrated your life.
Maybe you've been struggling with some tough personal
and or family challenges,
and you've been trying to hold everything and
everyone together.
Sometimes we just need to hunker down and
do like the tardigrades.
Take a break and move away from the
(07:03):
center of negative energy.
Recharge and be on the lookout for a
good time to reemerge.
What's coming up for you now? What's happening
in your life that seems too overwhelming to
handle?
Jot down some notes. Get some of the
negative energy and clutter out of your mind
and onto paper where it's easier to take
on.
(07:24):
There's a simple mantra that you can hold
on to in tough times, which will give
you the strength to rejuvenate and face life
again in a positive light. It's all about
the three P's
pervasive,
permanent,
and personal.
These are cognitive distortions identified by positive psychology
founder Martin Seligman in his work on learned
(07:44):
helplessness and resilience.
Understanding these concepts and that struggles are not
defined by them can help us develop a
more optimistic and resilient mindset.
The first p, pervasive, is about believing that
a negative event affects all aspects of our
life, leading to a feeling of overall defeat
and negative identity.
(08:06):
Like if you forget to pay a bill
on time, you think I always forget everything.
If you spill a drink, you believe you
are always clumsy.
If you can't figure something out, you tell
yourself you can never figure anything out.
All these definitions become negative pieces of your
identity.
Instead, reframe to the positive.
(08:26):
Recognize the challenges are often specific
and compartmentalize
them to help you maintain a balanced perspective
and shift your pervasive judgments of others too.
You don't know their story.
That's how we get into trouble with unfair
bias and stereotyping.
One disrespectful teenager and we lump them all
together and define their generation.
(08:48):
Challenge pervasive thinking.
Nothing applies to everyone or everything.
The second P, permanent,
is about the belief that negative events are
forever and unchangeable.
When you view a setback as a permanent
state, it leads to hopelessness
and a lack of motivation to improve the
(09:08):
situation.
After a breakup, you think I'll never find
love again. After a loss of trust in
a relationship,
you see the friendship as lost forever.
Forgiveness is impossible.
Instead, begin to understand that most difficulties are
temporary and can be overcome with time and
effort.
You can instead take positive action to move
(09:29):
forward.
Although there are some things in life that
are forever,
the way you think about them is not.
Loss of a loved one or the capacity
to do something you always loved may be
gone, but your memories and new opportunities will
always be there.
The last p is personal,
(09:50):
and this is all about the tendency to
internalize negative events and attribute them to personal
failings, which leads to excessive self blame,
shame and lower self esteem.
If a project you're working on fails, you
think this is all my fault because I'm
incompetent.
Instead of considering external factors at play, a
(10:10):
positive reframe is recognizing that not everything is
in your control.
It's a time to learn from the experience
so you can gain more control of those
outside factors next time and accept what you
can't control.
Do like the tardigrades in tough times, shifting
your perspective and build up your resilience tools.
Do like the tardigrades
(10:30):
in tough times. Shift your perspective and build
your resilience tools so you can better cope
with all those bumps in the road that
are part of life.
Grab those notes you made earlier about the
overwhelming challenges,
fears,
lack of control, or whatever is exhausting you,
(10:50):
and work through the situation using the three
P's. When you feel you've been knocked down
by life's struggles, remember that it's not pervasive.
It doesn't affect everything. This is just one
area of my life.
It's not permanent.
This too will change. It's temporary and will
improve,
sometimes on its own and more often with
(11:10):
time and effort.
It's not personal. It's not all your fault.
These are external factors out of my control
and I can learn from this. And if
you have a friend or loved one that
would benefit from this idea of the three
P's,
share this episode with them right now.
Just hit pause and find the share button
to send via text. I'm sure they will
(11:32):
be grateful.
And let's not forget about our tardigrade friends.
They're so important for scientific research as their
unique adaptations for surviving extreme conditions
are helping scientists to understand the mechanisms of
stress resistance.
This is leading to other applications in biotechnology,
medicine, and space exploration. Their ability to enter
(11:53):
the suspended animation state of cryptobiosis
is providing valuable insights into how life can
survive in harsh environments,
informing research into preserving biological materials
and developing new technologies.
And the resilience in space makes them interesting
to astrobiologists,
trying to figure out how life might survive
or travel between planets.
(12:14):
And tardigrades are part of so many ecosystems
contributing to nutrient cycles and playing a role
in the food web by feeding on microorganisms.
So let's take care of the health of
our planet through conservation efforts to protect natural
habitats,
reducing pollution and chemical runoff,
supporting scientific research and funding for studies on
extremophiles, including tardigrades.
(12:39):
Thank you for listening to resilience gone wild,
where we dive into the incredible stories of
nature's adaptation and survival
and discover what animals and plants can teach
us about resilience
and building our win win win mindset.
We've got a little favor to ask.
Read and review us on your favorite podcast
platform.
(12:59):
Your feedback not only helps us improve, but
also helps other listeners discover these amazing stories
and build up their own resilience
for a win win win for
all. Think of it as shining some sunlight
to enable fellow nature enthusiasts to live in
resilient joy. We'll pick a lucky reviewer to
receive a special shout out on the show
(13:20):
and a chance to ask a question to
one of our expert guests.
So tap those stars,
write a review, and help us keep the
spirit of resilience alive and well. I hope
you'll post a comment,
subscribe to my newsletter,
and drop me an email. Maybe we'll read
it on the show. It would be so
much fun to connect.
So long for now.
(13:45):
This has been a production of BLI Studios
produced by me, Kai. Follow along with our
other BLI produced shows at balancinglife'sissues.com/podcast-BLI.
Got an idea for the show? Email me,
Kai, at balancing life's issues dot com. And
don't forget to stay in touch with your
host, Jessica, at jessica@winwinwinmindset.com.
(14:05):
Anything else to add, Miles?
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