Dr. Tara Narula is ABC News’ chief medical correspondent and a clinical associate professor of cardiology. It seems appropriate that Ann’s new book, The Healing Power of Resilience should have been released this week. This book released on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. More importantly, it provides readers a concrete blueprint to better their health and well-being through the process of increasing resilience.
In her book, Dr. Narula breaks down the eight key steps to empower people to build resilience and thrive in their life. She wants everyone to know that stress is normal. At the same time, she says, it’s crucial to help kids cultivate strong coping skills. Dr. Narula’s unique understanding of human physiology informs and inspires all of her work. She shares with us how our bodies are biologically programmed to respond to pressures and threats with a stress response.
As Dr. Narula explains, it’s critical to understand that stress has a dual nature. She continues, “We dump hormones like adrenaline, cortisol and inflammation. It is nature. It’s meant to protect us. A little bit of stress is beneficial. The issue is not when it’s temporary, but when it’s chronic – that’s when it becomes harmful.” This outlook influences her long-term approach to resilience. She inspires readers to awaken their primal instinct to react well to stress.
An important focus of “The Healing Power of Resilience” is the importance of empowering people who are dealing with health challenges. Dr. Narula asserts, “We are not healing our patients because we’re not scaffolding them with teaching them how to build resilience when we hand them a diagnosis.” As much as she’s focused on education, though, she’s even more dedicated to treating patients. On top of that, she equips them with alternatives to cope with their stress and expedite their recovery.
In her exploration of resilience, Dr. Narula notes, “What I found so interesting when I started studying resilience is not only is it really innate, but it can be learned and built and cultivated like a skill.” Her mission is to inspire others to improve their health and wellbeing. By focusing on resilience, she’s shining an important light on the bedrock of well-being.
