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There is a lot of disruption, uncertainty and heightened stress at the moment in our Australian lives. Examples include; working from home versus working from the office and striking the right balance, interest rates and how much they will increase, cost of living increases, who will win the federal election, mask mandates – will they return, and a war overseas.

Of course, we all want to have the best life possible and for many people, preserving mental health and wellbeing is a key priority. The problem is, disruption and uncertainty contributed to heightened stress levels and, if stress levels remain too high for too long, it is well identified that physical and mental health problems can be the result. Never mind other problems such as relationship difficulties, employment dissatisfaction and loss of a general sense of happiness.

But can we play an active role in the creation of a new normal that takes into account disruption and uncertainty, and also preserves opportunities for personal growth? Let’s take a look at some of the evidence informed contributors to more resilient responding amidst adversity and trauma exposure.

The Core – The Essence of Who We Are:

Across many different groups of people it has been shown that knowing your values, having a strong moral compass, and being committed to taking-action support resilient responding (adaptability amidst heightened stress). A key suggestion is to focus on developing a solid ‘core’ as this strengthens the ability to persevere during adversity. A good practical task is to write out what your values are, get clear on what it is you stand for in your life.

Daily Practice – The Habits that Support Adjustment:

There are many different ‘daily’ techniques and approaches that do not have to take up a lot of time. These include mindfulness, self-compassion, kindness, stress management, gratitude, optimism, and thought monitoring and replacement. Although the exact mechanisms of action are not entirely known, it is reasonable to say that each technique has been shown to provide a level of benefit and/or positive change during or after adversity.

Professional Life – Boundaries & Support:

It should not be under-estimated how important it is to maintain work-life boundaries as well as to have supports in place, particularly in this era of hybrid workplaces. Strategies include, setting up a dedicated work space, having definitive starting and finishing times, and allowing time to wind down and disconnect after a long day. Also, knowing who your main supports are and being prepared to contact them to connect and talk is important.

It would be worthwhile wouldn’t it if, after everything we have and are still yet to go through, we could emerge into a ‘new normal’ that we have contributed to and feel connected with. For this to occur we will need to stay grounded and bring ourselves regularly back to the present moment, to not be influenced too easily by all of the disruption and uncertainty. But, if you invest the effort into doing this, it is more likely that you will preserve your health and wellbeing and potentially even open the door to personal growth.