I’m sure we can all agree that the last few years have been particularly challenging thanks to the pandemic and its aftereffects. That likely won’t change in the future, as the country faces a potential recession and an ever-changing job market. Building resilience is crucial in order to stay strong during these trying times.

No matter what career path you’ve chosen, building up your resilience is a good idea, and we found that resilience is one of the sought-after skills to develop this year. Build the grit to conquer anything your career throws at you through resilience training!

Define your purpose

One of the best ways to stay on target when things get tough is to take a step back and focus on your purpose.

“What many people don’t realize is that having a sense of purpose has more tangible effects on our lives. There are actually a multitude of health benefits, both physical and mental.” –Medicareful Living

Think in terms of your personal brand and what you stand for. Are your daily actions helping you achieve that purpose? Forbes’ William Arruda says to let your purpose be your North Star and to follow it when making decisions. Arruda cites Margaret Scovern of Pariveda, who said, “Businesses and people driven by a well-defined purpose are much less likely to stagnate in the face of real or perceived challenges.”

By knowing your core values, you can weather the storm and take action in line with that purpose when things get tough.

Focus on your strengths

While you’re analyzing things on the personal side, you’ll want to take stock of what you bring to the table in order to help you overcome the odds.

We can often feel weak and lost when troubles occur, and many of us are prone to imposter syndrome. But by taking stock of our unique individual strengths, we can remind ourselves of our best qualities.

SHRM’s Kathleen Doheny writes that workers of all levels need a reminder of their strengths from time to time. Don’t be afraid to remind others of their strengths as well! We may all struggle at certain aspects of our jobs, but a quick reminder of what we’re good at helps build the resilience to get through.

Set boundaries

Burnout is one of the most common tests workers face in their day-to-day lives. With so much going on in the world, at home, and at work, we can place too many burdens upon ourselves and create ridiculous expectations for ourselves. Learning how to set clear boundaries is key to reducing burnout and increasing resilience.

“Burnout is all too common these days. If you learn to truly take care of yourself, resilience is an automatic side effect.” –William Arruda

Karen Phillips of BetterUp Care mentions turning off your phone after work hours as a simple way to set boundaries to regain some control of your life. Sometimes, setting boundaries can be as simple as learning how to say “no.” You’ll need to find what works for you, but creating a better work-life balance will go a long way toward building resilience.

Build a support network

The above steps are great individual efforts at minimizing the chance of being completely bogged down, but the best way to build the resilience to overcome anything is to create a network you can rely on and who can remind you of your strengths.

HR Today found that workers who felt supported in building workplace relationships were twice as likely to report high individual resilience. These relationships also lead to a greater sense of resilience throughout the entire organization.

William Arruda mentions that while remote work can make it feel like you might be lonely, a support system is only a few clicks away, and it’s easier than ever to connect with or find a support network.

Wrap up

Some of the above advice is easier said than done. Setbacks in our careers are inevitable, and some are easier to recover from than others. But building resilience is universally beneficial and will make bouncing back easier. By taking time to take an inner look at yourself, learning how to create a healthy work-life balance to counter burnout, and finding a support system, you’ll be setting yourself up for success down the road.

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