One
Resilience is a standard I must attain.
A standard set by my employer.
A standard set by me.

I must continue to perform well.
Keep going despite the challenges.

Don't show you are anxious or stressed.
Crying in public is bad.
Don't show you are angry.

Negative emotions are a sign of weakness,
I must not show weakness.

I should be able to cope (everyone else can).
Focus on the work, the task at hand.

Suppressing my emotions, I hope the bad ones will go away
(but they don't).
I feel shame and humiliation when they leak out.
What is wrong with me?
I need to be strong.

Two
Resilience is not the absence of emotions.

I stop avoiding and resisting
and let myself experience and explore
what is already here.

Crying shows I care.

Resilience is paying attention.
Fear, anger, anxiety, sadness are not negative or bad.
They are signals, messages to pay attention to.
Being kind enough to let them in.
Being brave enough to stay with them a while.....
And then, message received,
they are gone.

Resilience is a balancing act:
a walk, a chat, a dance, a rest.
Taking action to maintain my wellbeing
enables me to take action in the world.

Image by Schäferle from Pixaby.

• Managing anxiety and stress