In a conversation with a leader recently, we talked about sailing in choppy seas and how this is akin to resilience and change in the face of all the uncertainty we’re facing right now.
Image: Anne-Marie Miller @AnneMarieDoodle
I had similar comments from a respondent in the Twist wellbeing and organisational change research and descriptions of ‘storms’ and ‘unrest’ came up repeatedly in conversations during the pandemic.
If we feel like we’re in a good place, we’re taking care of ourselves and our pressures are at a manageable level, our ability to stay on the crest of big waves without crashing down a steep trough, feels easier.
It can help us feel like our boat is stable and we can bounce more easily to the next wave, rather than being buffeted by the tide.
We need a bigger boat
If we want our responses to change to feel more stable, and like we have a bigger boat, what skills can we develop that will help to build our resilience?
Learn more about yourself. There are ways to build your own awareness of how you respond (or react) in times of change or uncertainty. You can note (journal) your emotional, physical or mental reactions to change and how far down the wave you feel you’re going. Do you let off steam with a friend and then bounce on to something else quickly? Do you wake up in the small hours churning over thoughts and ideas? These observations can help us work out where to focus our efforts and consider what might be helpful or harmful.
Have more conversations. Research shows that positive social relationships and connections are vital to strengthening resilience. And spending time building and investing in these in times of calm, can be really valuable. A problem shared really can be a problem halved.
Go back to basics. Having enough sleep, a good diet, staying hydrated, exercising… all the things we know we should do and so often struggle to stay consistent with when things get a bit choppy. Working with an accountability buddy for example when thinking about your exercise routine can help you stick to your goals. And, making time to prepare food or having healthy snacks to hand, can help and save you time in the long run. I know you will have heard about this countless times, may have had successful – or not such successful attempts at tackling the basics. It’s also worth thinking about what might be getting in your way.
What would a friend say to you? How we talk to ourselves can hold us back or propel us forward. Tune into your inner chatter and consider if what you’re hearing is helpful – or harmful. Would a friend say the same thing to you?
Consider what you can control. So much change and uncertainty on the horizon can make things feel overwhelming. But, if you focus on whatever it is that you can control and the positives you already have, rather than what you lack, will help provide a different perspective.
As one of the leaders who contributed to the Twist wellbeing and change research report mentioned:
“Those who are really good at it [resilience to change] can stay at the top of the wave and bounce on to the next wave without having to go completely down that negative dip to come back up the other side. We’re all on that spectrum somewhere.”
We can learn how to navigate the waves more effectively and move around that spectrum. By implementing changes and habits that will help us develop our resilience, then we’ll feel like we’re in a better boat and the seas might feel a little less choppy.
You can register for the Twist Wellbeing and change report to get more insights and ideas on supporting yourself and others through uncertainty. If a conversation about how to support your own resilience to lead through change would be helpful, I’d love to chat.