Mobile Menu

  • Home
  • About Liggy
  • Books
    • Printed books
    • Digital books
  • Services
    • Webinars
    • Presentations
    • TV & Media
    • Learning
    • Resilience
  • Blog
    • Blog
    • Newsletters
    • Competition
    • Free resources
  • Contact Liggy
  • Help
    • FAQ – Digital BiteSized books
    • Digital BiteSized books – installation instructions
    • Shipping and delivery
  • Login
  • Search
  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

cart-icon

Liggy Webb

Award-winning presenter and author

  • Home
  • About Liggy
  • Books
    • Printed books
    • Digital books
  • Services
    • Webinars
    • Presentations
    • TV & Media
    • Learning
    • Resilience
  • Blog
    • Blog
    • Newsletters
    • Competition
    • Free resources
  • Contact Liggy
  • Help
    • FAQ – Digital BiteSized books
    • Digital BiteSized books – installation instructions
    • Shipping and delivery
  • Login
  • Search

How to build your winter resilience

You are here: Home / General / How to build your winter resilience

28-Nov-2021 //  by Liggy

Winter can be challenging at the best of times however with the recent emergence of yet another variant and the potential impact this may have on our lives, it certainly does seem that our resilience is being truly tested.

Living with relentless change and uncertainty can take its toll on our stress levels and how we deal with setbacks and adversity will depend so much on our inner strength.

On a positive note, it is also worth bearing in mind that some of the curve balls that life will inevitably throw at us can also teach us some of the most valuable lessons when it comes to building our personal resilience.

So, before we even begin to explore resilience, I would like to emphasise first and foremost that being resilient is not about ‘toughing it out’, at any cost. Too often, especially in the work environment, I observe people doing this and sometimes to the detriment of their own physical and mental health.

Reaching out for unhealthy coping mechanisms may provide a quick fix in the short term; however, for long-term wellbeing, it is essential to pace ourselves. We need to acknowledge that, as human beings, we will of course have our own unique fragilities and vulnerabilities. Focusing on self-care and building a toolkit of positive and healthy coping mechanisms is one of the best ways to support a resilient mind.

What is resilience?

Resilience is about embracing our “humanness” and understanding and accepting that we will inevitably experience setbacks and disappointments. We will make mistakes and get things wrong because we were not born to be perfect; we were born to be real.

The word resilience derives from the Latin verb “resilire”, meaning to jump back or to recoil. In physics, resilience is the ability of an elastic material to absorb energy and release that energy as it springs back to its original shape. The recovery that occurs in this phenomenon is akin to a human being’s ability to bounce back after one of life’s various and inevitable challenges.

Resilience essentially is the process of adapting and recovering well from adversity, trauma, tragedy or threats. Some people describe resilience as: “the ability to bend, instead of breaking, when experiencing pressure” or “the ability to persevere and adapt, when faced with challenges”. The same abilities also help us to be more open and willing to take on new opportunities.

This is one of my favourite descriptions of resilience by a critical care nurse called Sonja M. Schwartzbach.

And then resilience enters the room, the most elegant of emotional beings; glowing; refined; a reminder that even a flicker of light glows amid the darkness. And we can save our tiny ship of troubles from life’s stormy seas once again.

So how can we build our personal resilience?

Being a resilient person is more than just being able to recover and survive, it is also about learning, growing and thriving as a person. Here are ten key strategies that can help us to be more resilient:

1. Take a journey of self-discovery

Self-awareness, self-confidence and self-efficacy all play an essential role in helping us to cope with stress and recover from difficult events. Understanding ourselves is the first port of call and then reminding ourselves of our strengths and accomplishments is key. Becoming more confident about our own ability to respond and deal with a crisis is an important way to build resilience for the future. Challenges can be steppingstones or stumbling blocks and nourishing the faith we have in our own ability to overcome them is the foundation piece. Also being aware of the options we have available to us in every given situation will help us to take personal responsibility and feel more confident and empowered.

2. See the glass half full

Staying positive during dark periods can be difficult and it is so helpful to maintain a hopeful outlook. Being an optimist does not mean being naive and ignoring the problem. It means understanding that setbacks are transient and that we have the skills and abilities to combat the challenges we face. There is a risk when something difficult arises that we fall into the pessimistic trap of believing that everything is doom and gloom. So much of resilience is about how we choose to respond to each situation and an optimistic perspective will most certainly lead us in a more positive direction. When faced with a negative thought it is worth asking the question – What else could this mean? Then seek out a positive alternative.

3. Manage emotions

Being emotionally aware and recognising how we can potentially react in certain situations will help us to exercise more self-control. It will also help us to be more considerate with regards to how our response can affect other people. High emotion can be exhausting so managing emotions during any ordeal will help us to focus our energy where it is best placed rather than fuelling unnecessary drama that can drain us. People who are emotionally intelligent and understand their emotions are generally far more resilient.

4. Change for the better

We may not always be able to control or change circumstances; however, we can absolutely choose and change our attitude towards them, so we are far more in control than we may initially believe. Flexibility is an essential part of being able to manage change and, by learning how to be more adaptable, we will be much better equipped to respond to any life crisis we may encounter. Resilient people often utilise these events as an opportunity to branch out in new directions. While some people may be crushed by abrupt changes, highly resilient individuals are able to embrace change and seek to use their energy to influence it.

5. Cope well with conflict

Conflict is an inevitable part of life and there is nothing wrong with it. It is only when it becomes combat that it becomes problematic. We all have different personalities and along with those go belief systems, values, perspectives, likes and dislikes. Some conflict can be difficult and, at times, unsettling – especially if you take it personally and are very sensitive. The outcome of conflict, however, can be positive. It can help us to create new ideas, learn from others, understand ourselves better, see different perspectives and improve our own communication. Learning how to cope with and manage conflict is a very important life skill in the increasingly diverse world that we live in. Being curious about others rather judgemental is an excellent way to approach life in general.

6. Embrace probortunities

The word probortunity is a fusion of the words “problem” and “opportunity” and looks at the concept of taking every problematic situation and seeking out the opportunity. It works on the premise that even in every crisis an opportunity will arise and there will be some benefit. It is a useful approach to problems and can help us look at them from a positive and solution focused perspective. Developing a good set of problem-solving skills is helpful too and knowing what practical steps to take can help build our confidence when we are faced with challenges.

7. Prioritise self-care

When we are feeling traumatised, stressed and upset, it can be all too easy to neglect our own well-being. Losing our appetite, overeating, not exercising, not getting enough sleep, drinking too much alcohol, not drinking enough water, driving ourselves too hard, are all common reactions to a crisis. This is the time when we need to work on building our self-nurturance skills, especially when we are troubled. Making time to invest in our wellbeing will boost our overall health and resilience and we will be much better equipped to face life’s inevitable challenges.

8. Nurture relationships

Building and sustaining a strong network of supportive friends, family and work colleagues will act as a protective factor during times of difficulty. It is important to have people we trust and can confide in. Whilst simply talking about a situation with a friend or loved one will not necessarily make troubles go away, it will allow us to share our feelings, gain support, receive feedback and come up with possible solutions to our problems. Listening to other people’s experiences can be useful too and, although we can’t always learn from others’ mistakes, there will certainly be some good advice out there. Perspective can be powerful and liberating.

9. Keep going

A quote that is often attributed to Winston Churchill is this: “If you are going through hell, keep going.” There is a lot to be said for picking yourself up, dusting yourself off and carrying on. It is not, however, as I mentioned before, about “toughing it out” at any cost. Self-care and being kind to ourselves in the process is vital. Being resilient is about the ability to bounce back and get on with life. The key is to think of each setback or upset as a steppingstone and it is important to be able to do this quickly rather than festering and ruminating for too long. Letting go of the angst that we may well experience is important rather than carrying lots of negative baggage that will just weigh us down and make the journey ahead much more difficult.

10. Create a vision

In times of crisis or when we are feeling low it is good to hold on to our dream and not lose sight of the fact that we can always have something to look forward to. There are lots of benefits to creating a vision and setting goals. First and foremost, they help us to develop clarity, which is the first step to helping us achieve what we want in life. Goals unlock our positive mind and release energies and ideas for success and achievement. Without goals, we simply drift and flow on the currents of life. With goals, we fly like an arrow, straight and true to our target. Setting goals, no matter how small they are, will give us direction, purpose, focus and most important of all, hope.

For updates for future blogs, free webinars and various other useful resources please do join my newsletter.

Click here to sign up to my newsletter


Resilience

Resilience

How to cultivate inner strength and bounce ability

£2.99
Shop now

Related Posts

You may be interested in these posts from the same category.

Resilience – How to build your inner strength

5 ways to be a great collaborator

How to establish healthy personal boundaries

Winter Wellbeing

Celebrating World Mental Health Day

How to embrace lifelong learning

Loneliness – 10 ways to feel less lonely

Stress and self-pressure

How to work well from home – 10 top tips

10 ways to build empathy

How to fuel yourself well

World Kindness Day

Previous Post: « World Kindness Day
Next Post: How to fuel yourself well »

Primary Sidebar

Signup to Liggy’s newsletter…

Shop for BiteSized books

Recent Posts

Resilience – How to build your inner strength

09-Mar-2023

5 ways to be a great collaborator

12-Feb-2023

How to establish healthy personal boundaries

30-Jan-2023

Winter Wellbeing

05-Dec-2022

Categories

  • General
    • Burnout
    • Positive thinking
    • Resilience
    • Self care
  • TV & Media
    • Presentation videos
    • Radio interviews
    • Videos
  • Webinars
  • Wellness

Footer

Liz SheeranLearning and Development, RSPCA

I love Liggy’s books because they are creative, concise and really useful

Janet BakerDeputy Regional Director of Public Health, Department of Health (West Midlands)

Liggy provided a very enjoyable and energetic day for the team. She gave us lots of tips on having a positive approach to work and life and how to manage our own emotions, look for opportunities and to make sure we take care of ourselves in a time of change. We set personal actions plans which will help us in taking forward the tips we want to adopt. A day that is fully recommended to other teams.

Dr David BatmanDirector of DCBConsulting

These books are a lesson to all in how to deliver simple, effective and life changing lifestyle messages in a time of increasing complexity and media confusion. A must read for those who want to lead a healthier and more productive life.

Sharon FrostGlobal HR Director, Oxford PharmaGenesis

Liggy Webb’s bite-sized books have been a great addition to our L&D strategy, helping our colleagues to understand first-hand that learning really can happen in the time it takes to drink a cuppa. Whether it’s a golden nugget of new insight or providing the motivation to have that much needed conversation to bring about positive change.

Jim HutchinsonPassenger - Ventura

I found Liggy’s presentations onboard the Ventura fascinating. They hit more than a few cords with me. A reason, a season or a lifetime you said. I’d like to think the reason I boarded the Ventura was to be inspired by her talks that have now propelled me in a new direction.

Lynne MartinezLufthansa - Belgium

Liggy’s presentations are like Liggy herself; invigorating; thought provoking and fun! What better way to learn than from someone who leads by example.

Malcolm EvansSouth Wales Police

Liggy gave an excellent motivational talk to our staff and we are now putting into practice some of her suggestions for improving our health and well being and in turn the benefits this will bring to our organisation.We can thoroughly recommend Liggy to inspire your staff to make changes which will both benefit the individual and the company alike.

Mark GriffithsLife Coach

Informative,energetic,inspiring and she was very knowledgeable about her subject. Her personality and enthusiasm captivated the whole audience.

Erica ThorntonHead of UK Delivery and Development, Sported

In a fast paced world, Liggy’s bite sized books are perfect for quickly digesting invaluable information.

Drew PrydeChairman, The Scottish Institute for Business Leaders (SIBL)

Liggy Webb’s resilience masterclass was undoubtedly one of the very best presentations to SIBL members in the past decade. It offers a series of insightful and practical ‘gems’ that really work in helping everyone to win through whatever challenges they are facing in their business and personal lives.

Site Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • About Liggy
  • Contact Liggy
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap

Copyright © 2023 · Liggy Webb · Log in