Resilience Tip – Have You Tried a ‘Lemonade Mindset’?

A post-COVID research study has led psychologists to highlight an important but undervalued resource in our resilience toolkit. Their study examined playfulness and how those with playful traits navigate difficult times. The study's lead, Dr. Xiangyou "Sharon" Shen of Oregon State University, believes the knowledge gained can help us cope with stress and uncertainty and adapt to challenging situations.

What is 'lemonading'?

It's the term that the research team devised to describe how those with playful traits can turn life's metaphorical 'lemons' into something much more palatable. Not by avoiding the cruel realities of life but by responding to them with a flexible, problem solving attitude that focuses on acceptance and finding joy. Thinking imaginatively when faced with difficulties to come up with alternatives, rather than ignoring the situation and letting it gnaw away at you. Forging ways to find moments of happiness even when the going is tough.

Practical examples of a lemonade mindset for the workplace

• When a project goes awry – instead of dwelling on what went wrong, those with a lemonade mindset may instead ask, “What can we learn from this?” or “How might we overcome this glitch to reach a better outcome”. In other words, reframe the problem and keep the team energised instead of disheartened.
• When there is organisational change – rather than reacting to new systems or leadership with resistance, those with a lemonade mindset may spot opportunities such as the chance to develop new skills or build new relationships.
• When dealing with challenging colleagues – lemonaders don’t allow difficult conversations to drain their energy. Instead, they view them as an opportunity. Perhaps to practice patience and improve their communication skills which they recognise as valuable skills for both life and career.

Practical examples of 'lemonading' for our lives in general

• Unexpected change – whether it be a move, job loss, or other large change in their life, those with a lemonade mindset look for the hidden benefits. Perhaps that could be to provide a new perspective, make unexpected connections, or seeing it as a chance to reinvent an aspect of their life.
• Health setback – instead of spending their convalescence dwelling on what they can’t currently do, those with a lemonade mindset see it as an opportunity; giving them some time to slow down, think and be grateful for the simple pleasures that can be missed when life is busy.
• Challenges in a relationship – can be viewed by those with a lemonade mindset as an opportunity to understand themselves and others better. Perhaps even having the capacity to create deeper connections through enhanced communication.

Resilience tip

A lemonade mindset isn’t about denying difficult emotions or toxic positivity. Those with a lemonade mindset will acknowledge challenges whilst using a flexible and creative approach to find meaning, growth and even moments of joy within them. And as the examples above illustrate, it’s a mindset we can all work on to develop.

This tip appeared in our Spring 2025 e-newsletter. Many other workplace wellbeing tips are available on our website – please have a browse to find some that work for you.