Why Resilience Isn’t About Being the Oak Tree

Written By Amanda Campbell

If you’re like many high-achieving women, you know what it feels like to push through exhaustion, chronic stress, or autoimmune flare-ups—to be that solid, unyielding oak tree.

But when storm after storm hits, even the strongest oak eventually cracks.

This is the problem: we’ve been sold the wrong model of resilience—and it’s breaking high-achieving women from the inside out.

I was reminded of this when Jimmy Burroughes shared a story that mirrors what I see every day in my private practice at Bend Like Bamboo. He spoke about a 200-year-old oak tree in New Zealand—majestic, powerful, seemingly indestructible. It had weathered decades of storms. Until one day, it didn’t. It split and fell.

Meanwhile, in Mexico, palm trees endure hurricane after hurricane. They bend. They sway. They lose a few leaves. And then they rise again—intact, rooted, adaptable.

This is the resilience nobody teaches you.

Women navigating autoimmune conditions, burnout, and unrelenting corporate pressure are conditioned to be the oak tree: stand firm, take the hit, never waver, never show weakness. But every “just push through” moment creates a micro-crack in your system—your nervous system, your immune function, your capacity to heal.

This is exactly why I created my framework, Bend Like Bamboo.

For women balancing demanding careers with chronic health challenges, this shift is transformative. Resilience practiced this way honours your body’s signals and creates space for sustainable performance instead of survival-mode living.

You don’t need to be unbreakable. You need to be flexible. Restorative. Able to bend, recover, and rise again. Like bamboo.

Get your free Resilience Toolkit & my Resilience Formula here: https://www.bendlikebamboo.com/thrive-subscribe

Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/srAiW75dxcc?si=I6Y46b13BJKBQyGl

Related podcast: From Burnout to Breakthrough: Rich Ellis on Energy Management for Leaders. Ep 58

Connect with Jimmy Burroughes

Website: www.jimmyburroughes.com

Podcast: The High-Performance Leader

Books:

LinkedIn: Connect with Jimmy to learn more about his "Simplify to Amplify" methodology and operational friction removal programs.

This conversation is part of the Bend Like Bamboo podcast series, exploring how leaders, innovators, and change-makers cultivate resilience in the face of life's challenges. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

Connect with Amanda
Amanda Campbell is a Sports Kinesiologist, Speaker, and Author who helps CEOs and leaders build resilience to thrive through life's challenges. She hosts the Bend Like Bamboo Resilience Podcast and offers programs designed to maximise performance whilst reducing stress and preventing burnout.

You are welcome to book a complimentary discovery call to explore how we can work together: ​https://calendly.com/amanda_campbell_/15min?month=2025-01​

 

Speaking & Events: Amanda delivers wellness workshops and keynotes both in-person and virtually. To book: hello@amandacampbell.com.au | www.amandacampbell.com.au

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