Even in the best of times uncertainty can strike, rocking your world. Being able to navigate the doubt, panic, stress, and even trauma that comes with uncertainty is a highly valuable skill. And it is just that, a skill. True some folks seem to be able to wade those waters more effortlessly, but it is a practice that can be learned and relearned as needed. I am talking about resilience and how we can live it. 

Like many human qualities, resilience is something that needs to be grown. In working with elementary children, it became obvious to me that certain family systems supported the growth of resilience better than others and that made me curious. What were they doing that others could learn from? In observing these children, their parents and some of my adult clients, as well as doing research, I’ve come to understand resilience as the ability to engage ourselves for wellbeing despite adversity. Resilience is a major life skill, not to mention a key ingredient for positive self regard. Those who embody resilience can still love themselves even when failure and disappointment have struck. 

So how to grow resilience? I believe there are many ways to cultivate this quality but I wanted to highlight five steps anyone can follow. These steps are especially good for addressing challenging situations, like COVID-19, job loss, divorse, or health scares. The more a person practices these steps, the more resilience will become familiar and even second nature. 

For more explanation of the steps and a PDF of the above table, please download my free 5 Steps for Resilience in Uncertain Times handout. I hope these steps make growing resilience a possibility for you.