If ever was a time to be resilient, it would be now. Current dynamics of the ever changing world can cause us to be stressed, overwhelmed and fearful of the future.

Often people think that some people are more resilient than others, and in some cases this seems to be true, however the perspective to have is that the ones you are observing are endeavouring to build the skill of resilience. Yes, resilience is a skill, and so we can learn and develop it as individuals and within our organisations.

I have personally been on of journey of learning this skill; building my knowledge and experience to ensure I can overcome the challenges I am facing now and for the future.

And I have also had the privilege to deliver a number of masterclasses on resilience with organisations, to help them build resilience into their teams and organisation. So I share with you below, 5 helpful tips to build resilience, there are many more, do add your own to the comments.

Tip #1: Accept change.

Find ways to become more comfortable with change. Change is constant and inevitable, and you can only be successful if you accept it rather than resist it. To increase your capacity to accept change, is to expose yourself to new things on a daily basis, it prepares your mind when change happens.

Small examples of creating change:

1. Try a new route on your daily walk/run

2. Have a latte instead of a cappuccino coffee

3. Experiment with your food

Tip #2: Learn continuously.

Learn new skills, gain new understandings, and apply them during times of change. Don’t hold onto old behaviours and skills, especially when it’s obvious that they don’t work anymore. Learning new things causes us to adapt to change better.

Ways to keep learning:

1. A new language

2. Take an online course

3. Learn an instrument like guitar

4. Read leadership books

Tip #3: Remind yourself of your purpose.

Develop your “personal why” that gives your life meaning. A clear sense of purpose helps you to assess challenges within the framework of a broader perspective. Failure is just feedback along the journey of your purpose.

Tip #4: Cultivate relationships.

Develop and nurture a broad network of personal and professional open and transparent relationships. Personal relationships create a strong base of support — a critical element in achieving goals, dealing with challenges, providing advice and developing different perspectives. Remember that relationships are important for your team too.

Tip #5: Reflect.

Whether you’re celebrating success or enduring challenges, make time to reflect and process life. Reflection fosters new learning's, new perspectives, and self-awareness that can enhance your resiliency. Find a place where you can reflect the best.

And finally, in essence resilience is the universal human capacity to face, overcome, and even be strengthened by experiences of adversity — bending rather than breaking. We are a resilient people to what we have already endured, we can overcome much more as we develop the skill of resilience.

Do let me know your experiences and helpful insights to building resilience.

Thank you.

Julian Roberts

Executive Coach | Founder