We are halfway through the year! When you stop and pause, do you feel tired, overwhelmed, disappointed, lacking motivation or energy, or generally just a bit sad or down? Ever since COVID-19, our world has become more Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous (VUCA). There was a brief stretch of ease and relief once COVID restrictions were lifted, and we began to get back to ‘normal’ life. But let’s be honest, life has never been less normal! It’s crucial to acknowledge these changes and challenges—because they’re impacting us whether we like it or not.
- How often do you stop and pause to reflect on how you truly feel about the changes and challenges around you?
- What specific feelings arise when you take the time to acknowledge the current state of the world?
- How can you create a regular practice of pausing and reflecting on your emotional state?
Societal Changes and Challenges
Consider some of the significant changes in our world since COVID:
- War and Geographical Instability: Conflicts like those in Ukraine and Israel/Gaza.
- Environmental Disasters and Weather Effects: Increasing frequency and severity.
- Rising Cost of Living: Many of us are feeling the pinch in essentials like power, water, groceries, and housing.
- Dwindling Community: Local businesses have closed, and community groups are struggling.
- Mental Health Issues: Increasing numbers of people are struggling, although awareness is growing.
- Political and Social Divides: People are more polarized than ever.
- Economic Inequality: The gap between the rich and the poor is widening, with big corporations becoming ever more powerful.
- Technology Distraction: Social media, apps, gaming, and more are consuming our attention.
- Artificial Intelligence: AI is transforming jobs and the way we work, with much more change to come.
This, on top of any personal challenges and issues in our lives, is overwhelming.
- Which of these societal changes and challenges resonate most with you, and how are they impacting your daily life?
- How have these changes affected your personal and professional goals?
- What can you do to manage the stress and anxiety caused by these societal shifts?
Knowledge is Power
In this awareness of difficulty, there is power. Denying our feelings or pretending everything is okay can lead to feelings of depression and vulnerability at inopportune times. Instead, acknowledging these truths and how they affect us allows us to take action and build our resilience. This connection with our authentic selves, although challenging, feels empowering and real.
- How can acknowledging your feelings about the world around you help you take positive action and build resilience?
- What steps can you take today to connect more deeply with your authentic self?
- How can you create a support system to help you process and manage difficult emotions?
What is Resilience?
Coping and Adapting: Resilience is our ability to handle one-off stressful events and adversity.
Ongoing Challenges: It’s also about adjusting to, managing, and rising above ongoing difficulties, finding a healthy long-term way of being.
Transformation: At its best, resilience strengthens us as we learn and grow from our difficulties, and transform ourselves.
As our future continues to be uncertain and challenging, we need to create inner stability, strength, and vitality—for ourselves, the people we care about, and those we support in our roles or careers.
- In what ways have you demonstrated resilience in the past, and how can you apply those lessons to current and future challenges?
- What resources or tools can you use to enhance your resilience?
- How can you support others in building their resilience while you work on your own?
The Good News: Resilience is a Skill
Resilience can be learned and grown. It’s a way of approaching life and events:
Growth Mindset: A way of thinking about ourselves, our life, and our world.
Practice: The habits we cultivate and the steps we take when things aren’t going well.
- What specific mindset shifts or practices can you adopt to enhance your resilience?
- How can you measure your progress in building resilience?
- What daily habits can you implement to reinforce a resilient mindset?
Develop Your Resilience
We can develop our resilience, and this is the first in a series of articles exploring 10 key ways to consciously grow it:
1. A Strong Mindset
Building resilience starts with cultivating a positive and growth-oriented mindset. This involves shifting from a fixed mindset, where challenges are seen as insurmountable, to a growth mindset, where challenges are opportunities for learning and growth.
- How can you start viewing challenges as opportunities for growth?
- What beliefs about yourself and your capabilities need to change to support a resilient mindset?
- How can you practice gratitude and positive thinking daily?
2. Cultivate Your Aliveness
This means actively seeking out activities and experiences that make you feel alive and engaged. Whether it’s a hobby, a sport, or spending time in nature, find what invigorates you and make it a regular part of your life.
- What activities make you feel most alive and engaged?
- How can you incorporate more of these activities into your routine?
- What barriers might prevent you from cultivating your aliveness, and how can you overcome them?
3. Take Control of Your Destiny
Taking control of your destiny involves setting clear goals and taking proactive steps towards achieving them. It’s about being intentional with your life choices and actions.
- What are your most important life goals right now?
- What steps can you take today to move closer to these goals?
- How can you stay motivated and accountable in pursuing your destiny?
4. Make Your Life Meaning-Filled
Finding and creating meaning in your life is crucial for resilience. This could be through work, relationships, volunteering, or any activity that gives you a sense of purpose.
- What activities or roles give your life the most meaning?
- How can you align your daily actions with your sense of purpose?
- How can you ensure that your life remains meaning-filled even during challenging times?
5. Build Community
Strong social connections are a cornerstone of resilience. Building and maintaining relationships with family, friends, colleagues, and community members provides support and a sense of belonging.
- Who are the key people in your support network?
- How can you strengthen your connections with these individuals?
- What steps can you take to build new supportive relationships?
6. Take Excellent Care of Yourself
Self-care is fundamental to resilience. This includes physical health, mental health, and emotional well-being. Regular exercise, a balanced diet, sufficient sleep, and mindfulness practices are all part of taking excellent care of yourself.
- What areas of your self-care routine need improvement?
- How can you create a balanced self-care plan that you can stick to?
- How can you prioritize self-care even when life gets busy?
7. Connect with Your Courage
Courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to act despite it. Connecting with your courage means stepping out of your comfort zone and taking risks to achieve your goals.
- What fears are holding you back from pursuing your goals?
- How can you take small steps to face and overcome these fears?
- What past experiences have shown you that you are capable of being courageous?
8. Get Organised
Being organised helps reduce stress and increases your ability to handle challenges. This includes managing your time effectively, setting priorities, and keeping your environment in order.
- What areas of your life could benefit from better organisation?
- How can you create a system to manage your tasks and responsibilities more effectively?
- What tools or strategies can you use to stay organised?
9. Find and Create Beauty
Beauty can be found in nature, art, music, and everyday moments. Actively seeking out and creating beauty in your life can uplift your spirits and provide a sense of peace and joy.
- What brings beauty into your life?
- How can you make time to appreciate and create beauty every day?
- How can finding beauty in small things help you build resilience?
10. Be an Instrument of Peace (Be Kind)
Kindness and compassion towards others not only help them but also improve your own well-being. Acts of kindness, whether small or large, can foster a sense of connection and purpose.
- How can you practice kindness in your daily interactions?
- What opportunities do you have to help others and make a positive impact?
- How does being kind to others also benefit your own resilience and well-being?
Watch for the next article next week!
Wrap-up
“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” – Christian D. Larson
Things just don’t make sense the way they used to. All around us, things are getting harder and more unusual. Yet we have more power than we realise to influence our reality and take control of our lives. We can set ourselves up for joy and happiness and feel good about our lives. Building resilience allows us to care for and believe in ourselves, even when things go wrong or we feel down.
- How can you start building your resilience today to better navigate the challenges ahead?
- What small steps can you take each day to strengthen your resilience?
- How will building resilience improve your overall well-being and quality of life?
Change the world. Start with you.