Why resilience is important

Change is a fact of life.  Building a toolbox of skills you can use to cope with change is one of the best investments you can make.

Being able to adapt easily to change, even when that change is desperately desired, is something we are rarely taught and yet, it could well be one of the most important skills we can learn.  Knowing you have the skills to cope with whatever life throws at you is a true gift.

So why is it so important?

Change is often thrust upon us – redundancy, health issues, infertility, bereavement to name just a few examples.  So often, these situations become a flash point for family breakdown, financial problems or a break in our mental health.  Feeling out of control, overwhelmed, frustrated or as though the situation is just unbearable means we are likely to suffer even more negative consequences.

What if, instead, you knew how to soothe yourself?  To bring yourself back to a place of calm control, knowing that you are capable of dealing with the situation?  This is what it means to be resilient.

In situations where change is thrust upon us, being able to self soothe, to ask for help, to protect your space, as well as come up with solutions and make decisions are crucial and are often the difference between struggling and coping.

But what about when you are seeking the change?

Maybe you want to leave your job and start your own business, or perhaps you are ready to start or grow your family?  Maybe you’ve always dreamed of selling up and moving to the other side of the world?

Just because a change is desired, doesn’t mean it comes easily (if it did, very few people would have regrets!).  Big, desired changes, nearly always push us out of our comfort zone.  We have doubts about whether it really is what we want, or whether we are actually capable of achieving it.  You might find that whenever you start making serious steps towards implementing your changes, you are thrown into a swirl of doubt, fear, lack of confidence and questions about whether you deserve these wonderful things you can envisage.

Again, learning to self soothe, to be able to share your worries and excitement and doubts with others, to ask for help when it’s needed and to make your decisions with confidence and clarity are all crucial skills to master.

This is why resilience is so important – because change is inevitable.