Like life, the ocean is both beautiful and uncertain.

Imagine you are at the beach, and a wave suddenly comes up out of the calm water and drenches you. You must work hard to stay on your feet and not get pulled out to sea.

Later, you remember that even getting pulled away from the shore does not mean that all is lost. You know that fighting directly against the sea is likely to wear you out. Instead, you can swim across the current until you get to calmer waters and then swim to land.

Resilience means being able to keep your balance when something upsetting happens so you can resist the pressure to fall over and stay on your feet. Staying resilient helps you to get up again if you are knocked down and, if things fall apart, to figure out what you need to do to regain your safety and wellbeing.

Here are some strategies that can help you to stay resilient in hard times.

1. Accept uncertainty. Life is very uncertain; anything can happen in the workplace or anywhere else. A family member might get sick, and you must take time off work to take care of them. Your company might go through restructuring that causes people to lose their jobs. Your kids might come to you because they are being bullied at school, and they need your help. You might get a new boss who gives you a hard time. Instead of constantly fearing uncertainty, you can choose to be mentally and emotionally prepared to adapt to change.

2. Accept your upset feelings without being consumed by them. Trying to ignore or suppress feelings of anger, betrayal, fear, sadness, or shame is likely to cause stress to come out in unhealthy ways, such as feeling burnt out, blowing up at your family at home, complaining to co-workers, or becoming very unmotivated. Instead, you can acknowledge that you are having a hard time and get support by connecting with counselors available through your employee assistance program, your HR manager, or other people who will help you to understand your feelings and gain perspective about your situation.

3. Strengthen your connections. When you are under pressure, it is normal to feel isolated and alone. This is an important time to reach out to people instead of shutting down or burning your bridges. Isolation can lead to despair, and despair can harm your mental health. At work, the connections you make can have a big impact on your success or failure.

If someone you know is struggling, just listening without giving them unwanted advice or judging them is one of the best ways to deepen your connection. You can keep doors open if you reach out to people and maintain your relationships even after you or they have moved to another role.

4. Focus on what you CAN do! Getting stuck in an endless loop of regret, overthinking, anxiety, or frustration about things that are beyond your control is a waste of your time and energy. Instead, put your focus on what IS in your control. Be proactive instead of reactive. For example, if it looks like your job might become redundant, you can update your resume, apply for other positions, or discuss with your manager whether there are ways to change your role.

Using these strategies can help you to put your time and energy into finding a path forward, even if you must change your plans.

For information about learning events and trainings on resilience and other topics, download the Workplace Options Global Learning Solutions catalog for details.