With so much change and uncertainty in life and business, particularly over the past few years, I’ve been thinking about how to develop more resilience within myself and my business.
Being resilient is essential to help us thrive in dynamic and competitive environments.
It’s about facing challenges and difficult situations, learning from them, and emerging stronger and more capable as a result.
We can take practical actions in our day-to-day work, but we also need to develop emotional resilience to manage stress and cope with setbacks.
“Everyone has the ability to increase resilience to stress. It requires hard work and dedication, but over time, you can equip yourself to handle whatever life throws your way without adverse effects to your health. Training your brain to manage stress won’t just affect the quality of your life, but perhaps even the length of it.” Amy Morin
Here are a few things to consider…
Developing and growing strong relationships in our personal and professional lives can offer support, collaboration, and valuable insights during difficult times. If you are a solo business owner having someone you can speak to in confidence, can make a big difference to the way you respond to situations.
Whatever your current situation be mentally prepared to deal with any changes, which doesn’t mean expecting the worst to happen, be willing to face challenges and see these as opportunities to learn and adapt.
Practice resilience-building habits such as relaxation techniques and breath-work, as well as challenging any negative self-talk. If you would like to find out more about the power of breath work, I recommend Stuart Sandeman, @breathpod. who has written a book called Breathe In Breathe Out. His view is that by ‘changing the way you breathe; you can transform the way you think and feel.’
Surround yourself with positive people, environments, and resources you know will help uplift and motivate you. I know when I take some time off to wander around a museum or art gallery, I feel re-energised.
Nurture yourself with healthy food, fresh air, and quality sleep. Deepak Chopra in his 21 Days of Abundance Meditations recommends luxury moments during the day. It could be your favourite fragrance, fresh flowers, a yoga class or sitting in the sun with your cup of coffee.
On a more practical level…
Maintaining a financial reserve or cushion is invaluable if a major client cancels, or there is an economic downturn. I remember many years ago my mentor, at the time, saying it’s worth having reserves in every area, whether this is a reserve of time, energy, money, or toilet rolls!
Diversify revenue streams, where possible, as relying on a single source of income can make you and your business more vulnerable. This might include offering additional products and services or reaching a new audience or market.
We don’t know what the future holds and there are many situations we may have little or no control over, however, we can take some steps to be adaptable and stay informed about emerging trends. We can strengthen our brand and reputation, and embrace innovation and creativity.
How do you cope with difficult and challenging situations? What strategies have you developed?
Where I’ve been …
In October I spent a good few hours (fuelled with delicious soup and cake) wandering around the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. As well as admiring the range of art and artifacts, the architecture and light, I particularly liked the Prix Pictet Human 2023 exhibition, which is the world’s leading prize for photography and sustainability.
And I’ve listened to …
I have a lot of admiration for Trinny Woodall who, later in life, has created a highly successful global brand with Trinny London. She spoke very openly with Steve Bartlett, on his Podcast, Diary of a CEO, about her own resilience in dealing with addiction, personal tragedy and a lack of initial support when setting up her business. Although I’ve not read her book, Fearless, she writes, “the most important thing that I have come to know is that life is not just about how we look – it’s about gaining the knowledge we need to navigate whatever life throws at us.”
