Resilience at Work: How to Stay Grounded When Life (or the World) Gets Messy
In a world where stress, uncertainty, and constant change have become the norm, resilience isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential. The good news is that resilience isn’t something you’re born with or without. It’s a skill you can build intentionally, one choice at a time, even when life (or the world) feels messy.
Resilience is the ability to recover from challenges while maintaining your sense of purpose and strength. It can mean coming back after the loss of a loved one, rebounding from a job rejection, or finding your footing again after a difficult conversation at work.
Resilience Is Built Through Mindset and Daily Practice
Keep in mind that resilience isn’t a fixed trait. It’s not that some people have it and others don’t. It’s a set of skills and habits that require intention, energy, and care to sustain. Resilience is about your mindset and the tools you use to navigate difficult times.
Let’s be honest: if you’re alive, you’ve faced adversity.
You’ve lost someone.
Had your heart broken.
Lived through a natural disaster.
Been fired.
Felt stuck in a job that didn’t fit—or on the edge of burnout.
Felt ineffective or lost at school or work.
Faced infertility, miscarriage, or the loss of a child.
Dealt with mental illness—your own or a loved one’s.
We often associate “resilience” with surviving major hardships, but daily stressors count too. The small, ongoing challenges of modern life add up—and they wear us down.
The World Feels Heavier Than It Used To
Globally, nearly four in ten adults report feeling a lot of worry or stress, a number that’s been steadily rising over the past decade. Reports of sadness, anger, and even physical pain are increasing, too. In short, the world is becoming more emotionally frayed. These negative emotions narrow our focus and make coping even harder.
It’s the stress of a demanding job.
The needs of an aging parent or a child who requires extra support.
The endless news cycle reminding us of crises we can’t solve—climate change, inequality, political conflict.
It’s no wonder we can feel like we’re constantly behind. And yet, somehow, we still need to wake up every day with a renewed sense of purpose and motivation to live our lives.
What’s often lost in all of this? Hope.
A Story of Real Resilience: Lucy Hone’s Journey
Lucy Hone, a resilience researcher in Christchurch, New Zealand, lost her 12-year-old daughter in a tragic car accident. In her TED Talk, she shared how she began applying her own research to her grief—and the strategies that helped her survive her darkest days.
Her three core strategies are simple but profound—and anyone can learn them.
1. Resilient people understand that life can be hard.
They get that stuff happens. Curveballs are part of being human. Resilient people don’t welcome hardship, but they understand that suffering is universal. That awareness helps them avoid falling into the trap of believing life is uniquely unfair to them.
In a world filled with highlight reels on social media, it’s easy to forget that real life is messy. But resilient people keep perspective. They distinguish between what they can and cannot control.
2. Resilient people choose where to focus their attention.
They’re realistic about what they can change—and what they can’t.
Our brains are wired to look for threats, which means we’re naturally attuned to the negative. Positive experiences, by contrast, tend to slide off like Teflon. Resilient people consciously retrain their focus toward what’s good.
This practice is sometimes called benefit finding—seeking out meaning and growth in hardship. Research shows that people who practice gratitude regularly experience higher happiness and lower depression over time. Shifting attention, even in small ways, is powerful.
3. Resilient people ask: “Is what I’m doing helping or harming me?”
This question may be the most powerful tool of all.
It’s about self-compassion—and self-awareness. It means asking whether your thoughts or actions are truly supporting you. Are they helping you recover your health, your motivation, or your peace of mind?
Resilient people learn to stop feeding what drains them: doom-scrolling, ruminating, or replaying old stories. Instead, they choose activities that replenish them—exercise, meditation, or connecting with positive people. These choices create a sense of control and empowerment.
Resilience Can Be Learned—And Strengthened Over Time
The lesson Lucy shares—and what research confirms—is that people can rise from adversity. Painful things still happen, but how we think and act in response can make all the difference.
Other proven resilience strategies include:
Mindfulness and relaxation practices (deep breathing, mindful walking, yoga)
Clarifying what’s meaningful and purposeful in your life
Therapy or coaching to help process difficult thoughts, feelings, and sensations
Physical activity to release stress and strengthen the body
Positive social connections that offer support and belonging
Using your strengths intentionally (through tools like the VIA Strengths Survey or CliftonStrengths)
Reducing unhealthy coping behaviors such as excessive drinking or smoking
Final Thoughts: Choosing Hope, Every Day
These tools are always available to us—anytime, anywhere. Resilience doesn’t erase pain or struggle—it gives you tools to face them with clarity and strength. When you learn to focus on what you can control, nourish what helps you, and stay grounded in meaning, you create space for hope and forward movement. That’s how we not only bounce back—but begin to thrive again.