The resilience of ants and what they can teach us

As May ends and June begins, many of us are enjoying the seasonable spell of bright summer days and warm balmy nights this week. Of course as doors open for summer, guests, both invited and unexpected, can turn up. In my case, these guests have come in the form of ants. Bear with me on this one folks, there is a wellbeing lesson in this.

Ants are essential contributors to our natural ecosystems. They play an important role in helping to keep soil healthy, and supporting natural habitats. At this time of year of course, ants, attracted by sugary drinks, fruit, and summer treats, commonly venture inside through open doors, windows, and even microscopic cracks you never knew you had.
I am a big fan of ants outside, but inside they can become a challenge.

As I was mixing up a natural remedy for my kitchen counters to deter my summer visitors, I had to admire their determination. It occurred to me that ants may have a lot to teach us about resilience.

Community Spirit

For those of you who have taken advantage of the Irish summer sun to enjoy your morning tea and toast outside, or, like me, have noticed that no jar can be left uncapped at the moment, you have probably encountered a visit from your friendly (albeit uninvited) neighbourhood ants.

Ants are rarely seen alone, as they live in colonies which usually consist of a queen, a band of workers, and a number of scouts. The community culture ants enjoy means they get social stimulation, are never short of help, and have a network of support around them.

Taking a leaf out of the ants’ book, having a sense of community is something that can also be vital to our wellbeing, and can contribute to our sense of resilience.
This is a network that we can call on when we need support, as well as camaraderie, as like the ants, we too are social beings.

Experiencing a sense of belonging within a community, whether in the form of a locality, a hobby, or an interest, can help to remind us that we are not alone.

Team Work

In addition to feeling we are not alone, there are legitimately times where having a team around us simply means we can achieve more than we could alone. Ants are a great example that we rarely achieve anything alone, but it is often only through team work and collaboration that we succeed.

In the ant community, everyone has a role to play. The scouts venture far afield to scout the terrain for dangers unknown and pastures new, the worker ants, as the name suggests, do the work that needs to be done to keep the community strong, the queen reproduces to grow the colony, and the soldiers defend the colony.

There are many parts to play in these busy communities, and only through working as a team do the ants succeed.
Similarly, having a strong ‘supportive team,’ be that of co-workers, family members, or friends, each playing a role in our lives, is critical to our own success.

We can feel more resilient when we have support to help us to adapt to change, or respond to difficult experiences, often learning and growing more through that shared experience.

Never Give Up

I have spent much of the last few days reading up on natural remedies for safely deterring ants from the kitchen and redirecting them back outside. Either our ants have evolved to love these summery smells, or we’ve got super ants, because it doesn’t seem to deter them for very long.

This does make them fascinating creatures, and it is difficult not to admire their hard work, determination, and dedication to their roles within their community. It reminds me of the simple yet important motto, to ‘never give up.’

This is a motto that can be important for us too to remember, particularly during times of challenge. Through the support of community, team work, and keeping our goals in mind, we can very often achieve what we set out to achieve, even if it takes us some time.

A final thought...

As summer arrives at last, so can both invited and unexpected guests. Although unexpected, ants, much like all creatures in nature, can teach us some important lessons.

Making steps towards connecting with a wider network and community can help us to socialise, to work as a team towards our goals, and to remind us that we are not alone, as we continue to keep wellbeing in mind this summer.

Emma Coonan is an Accredited Psychotherapist with IAHIP and ICP, Lectures in Psychotherapy, and is a qualified Adult Education Trainer. After leaving Coláiste Phobal Roscrea, Emma studied English and Media in Maynooth University, before combining her Psychotherapy training with experience in the corporate world. Emma focuses on applying Psychotherapy practices for everyday living, through developing resilience, stress response, and mindfulness practice.