Building Resilience Amid Constant Change: Practical Strategies for Thriving in Uncertain Times

The U.S. presidential election is less than two weeks away, and the tension in the air is almost tangible. It’s as if the entire country is on edge, waiting for something to break. But the election is just one piece of a larger, chaotic picture—pandemics, economic collapse, technological disruptions, and the worsening climate crisis. There’s been no time to catch our breath, no time to settle into anything resembling normalcy. Anxiety isn’t just lingering in the background anymore—it’s in every corner of life.

And it’s not just individuals feeling the strain. Leaders, too, are confronted with their own crises as work environments shift rapidly. Technology is evolving faster than anyone can keep up with, generational perspectives on work are colliding, and the very idea of what “work” means is being reconsidered. It’s a lot. It’s more than a lot. It’s pushing people to their limits.

How to Face Overwhelming Anxiety

Right now, stress feels unavoidable, doesn’t it? The question is, how do we handle it? How do we, as people and as leaders, stop ourselves from crumbling under all this pressure?

The answer doesn’t come from pretending it’s all fine or forcing positivity. The answer lies in something real: stress inoculation. It’s a science-based idea that turns conventional wisdom on its head. Instead of running from stress, it encourages us to confront it in small doses. By doing so, we build up our ability to handle the bigger challenges ahead.

How Our Brains Respond to Stress

Our brains are naturally inclined to seek comfort and predictability because they save energy that way. In familiar situations, everything runs on autopilot; we barely have to think about it. But when change hits—whether it’s a political crisis, a personal upheaval, or a sudden shift at work—our brains have to work harder, and that’s when stress kicks in. It’s not surprising we resist change. It’s energy-draining and overwhelming.

But here’s the thing: avoiding stress doesn’t build resilience. While it might feel good in the short term, it leaves us unprepared for the next wave of challenges. The good news? We can train our brains to cope. Just as vaccines help our immune system fight off diseases, small doses of stress can teach our brains how to handle pressure better.

Resilience: The Key to Leading Through Uncertainty

In times like these, resilience isn’t just helpful—it’s essential, especially for leaders. Leaders who know how to build resilience within their teams will find themselves much better equipped to handle rapid technological changes, generational clashes, and the constant reshaping of the work landscape. It’s about more than surviving—leaders who focus on resilience create a culture that thrives through uncertainty. As the election looms, the economy wavers, and the world shifts, resilience is the only strategy that offers a real chance of navigating it all successfully.

Preparing for Stress: A Science-Based Approach

There are real, actionable steps you can take to build resilience, both for yourself and your team. It’s not about avoiding stress or pretending it doesn’t exist—it’s about anticipating it, preparing for it, and using it as a tool. By understanding how our brains work under pressure, we can hack the process and move through stress with less resistance. The world isn’t slowing down anytime soon, but resilience helps us face whatever comes next with strength, rather than fear.

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Step 1: Anticipate Stress, Don’t Avoid It

Our brains crave predictability. It’s why we rehearse difficult conversations in the shower or mentally prep before a big meeting. Imagining stress before it happens may seem strange, but doing so gives the brain a sense of familiarity that can make the actual moment easier. Rather than sidestepping uncomfortable situations, try walking yourself through them in advance—whether it’s a tough talk with a friend or presenting a new idea at work. Visualizing the event can soften the brain’s reaction, reducing the anxiety spike.

Stress crops up in all areas of life. When you’re planning a project, you probably already map out timelines, budgets, and deadlines. Now, add a layer of stress management. Identify points of tension—a tight deadline, a client meeting, a difficult review—and talk them through with your team. Have everyone consider potential anxieties and how they might respond. By doing this, you help your team build a sense of control before the stress arrives.

The goal isn’t to erase stress but to anticipate it, giving your brain time to process. When a situation feels familiar, it becomes less overwhelming. Anticipation builds resilience and keeps stress manageable.

Step 2: Build Resilience Through Gradual Exposure

Resilience isn’t built overnight; it’s a gradual process, like strength training. Now that you’re mentally prepping for stress, it’s time to tackle small stressors in real life, one at a time. Each small, manageable challenge strengthens the brain’s capacity to cope with bigger issues.

Start small. If you dread public speaking, try speaking up in smaller settings, maybe with a handful of close colleagues. For personal challenges, think about setting minor boundaries—saying “no” to small requests or sharing a bit more of your opinion. With each step, you’re reinforcing your brain’s ability to handle bigger stressors down the line. Over time, you’ll find it easier to tackle deeper emotional issues, whether in relationships or in larger group settings.

Each challenge strengthens the brain’s pathways for emotional control and problem-solving. Eventually, situations that once felt paralyzing become manageable. By taking on stressors gradually, you’re training your brain to handle greater pressure with more confidence and clarity.

Step 3: Focus on Success, Not Mistakes

We’re often told “you learn from your mistakes,” but that’s not quite how the brain works. Our brains actually learn better from success. Imagine driving from New York to LA—there are countless ways to get lost, but only a few routes that take you smoothly across the country. Your brain doesn’t hold on to every misstep; it remembers the successful path. That’s why we tend to repeat mistakes—our brains prioritize what went right over what went wrong.

Marshall Goldsmith’s Feedforward method builds on this idea. Traditional feedback tends to focus on errors, which can trigger defensiveness or a cycle of self-blame. Feedforward, however, shifts the focus to what can be improved for the future, freeing you from dwelling on past mistakes. It’s about looking ahead rather than obsessing over the past, allowing you to move forward without the weight of previous errors.

This focus on future success not only reduces anxiety but strengthens resilience by keeping you moving in the right direction.

Step 4: Conduct a Stress Audit

Small stressors build up, draining our energy and limiting our ability to face bigger challenges. Over time, everyday annoyances—emails piling up, a cluttered workspace, minor miscommunications—chip away at our mental bandwidth. A Stress Audit is a way to identify and reduce these “energy drains,” both at work and at home.

Start with your personal space. Are the dishes piling up? Is your desktop a mess? Small irritants eat into your focus. In a team setting, look at communication breakdowns, unclear expectations, or redundant tasks. These minor issues don’t just slow productivity—they wear down resilience, bit by bit.

The Stress Audit helps pinpoint sources of stress and clear them away, freeing up mental energy for bigger challenges. Once the small stressors are minimized, both you and your team can direct your energy toward more significant goals, with the mental space needed to handle major disruptions with confidence.

Closing Thoughts

Resilience isn’t a trait you’re born with; it’s something you build over time. By anticipating stress, exposing yourself to it gradually, focusing on what works, and auditing everyday stressors, you’re creating the conditions to face any challenge that comes your way. In a world that’s always shifting, resilience allows us to move forward with clarity and strength. With these steps, you’re not just surviving the chaos—you’re thriving within it.