The 8 Pillars of Next-Level Resilience

As we all deal with relentless adversity, discover nine evidence-based methods—science-driven yet wisdom-wired—for generating the liquid ‘bounce-backness’ you need to flourish in our intense times.

There is a ‘perfect storm’ of crises brewing that will test our individual and collective resilience for years to come. Covid-19 is just the amuse bouche. As we live through the most challenging health crisis, socio-political crisis, and economic crisis in recent history, we must all invest real time, energy, and attention to building our own resilience. Otherwise we as individuals, and as a species, simply won’t flourish. Nobody can build resilience for us. But resilience is everyone’s birthright.

As I detail in my book ‘Now Lead The Change; Repurpose Your Career, Future-Proof Your Organization, and Regenerate Our Crisis-Hit World By Mastering Transformational Leadership’, the novel coronavirus is demonstrating that societies that prioritize productivity, consumer addictions, and GDP above all else lack the psychological and physiological resilience — and healthcare and welfare ‘redundancies’ (excess capacity to cope with surges) — needed in a profound and prolonged crisis.

As individuals and leaders of families, organizations, and communities if we leave proactive adaptation and necessary change until it is too late — and pressures to change develop into full-blown crises — we usually no longer have the time, resources, will, energy, trust, and resilience needed to land the transformations that are needed.

I invite you to take seriously the development of a self-care strategy that preempts stress and overwhelm; and an embodied wisdom approach that inoculates you against the life, love, and leadership crises that inevitable arise when we fail to metabolize mismatches in the moment. You must proactively take steps if you want to avoid the twin specters of burnout and breakdown! I recommend building yourself various non-negotiable practices within a Personal Resilience Plan that includes some, or all of, the following (all of which are based on multiple strands of scientific evidence):

1. Exploring intermittent fasting, which research says can prolong life and boost health

2. Maximizing the quality of nutrients coming into your bodymind. For example, ingesting more fiber and Vitamin D

3. Anchoring into your schedule near-daily aerobic exercise; and regular non-aerobic resistance training

4. Developing stringent ‘sleep hygiene’ (arising and sleeping at similar times each day, within a bedroom space that feels like a sanctuary)

5. Maintaining clear and sacred boundaries, both digital and relational, that keep your consciousness safe and nurtured

6. Building in recovery time (including pottering about or daydreaming) to recharge your batteries, as top athletes do

7. Ensuring you give yourself near-daily space and time to properly and compassionately process the crises, challenges, and emotional strains of your life

8. Developing at least one “reconnection practice” to switch on your heart and feel connection/love within

To discover the bonus (and most powerful) 9th pillar, read on here.

If you want to build a Personal Resilience Plan and unfold your purpose fully, join me on our 9 month MASTER TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP program (live, virtual, immersive).