Building resilience in uncertain times
Psychological resilience isn’t just about bouncing back — it’s about staying grounded when the ground itself is shifting. In our recent Inclus webinar, “Psychological resilience in a turbulent world,” we explored, with Juhani Mäkinen, a former Finnish Navy Special Operations Forces (SOF) soldier and CEO of Takana Oy, how individuals and organizations can respond to stress, uncertainty, and pressure with clarity and strength.
This post highlights practical tools for building resilience, common misconceptions, and how emotional awareness and preparation play a central role in navigating disruption.
Why psychological resilience matters
Today’s world is shaped by uncertainty — whether due to geopolitical instability, economic shifts, environmental crises, or digital transformation. Psychological resilience helps people remain calm and capable amid chaos.
It’s the mental flexibility to face adversity, recover, and even grow from it. Resilience isn't about avoiding difficult situations; it's about learning to move through them.
It involves maintaining perspective, staying emotionally aware, and understanding how to regain control even when external factors seem overwhelming.
Resilience is learnable
Contrary to the belief that some people are just “born resilient,” research and experience show that resilience is a skill that can be developed. Life experiences, deliberate mental strategies, and regular exposure to challenges all play a role in building psychological strength.
This mindset is crucial in leadership, where teams often look to their leaders for cues in times of stress. Resilient individuals can help stabilize groups by staying grounded and composed.
The role of emotion and control
A key element of resilience is emotional awareness. Many of our responses to stress are rooted in emotion, and understanding those emotions — how they feel and where they come from — can reduce their disruptive power.
Rather than avoiding difficult emotions, resilient people recognize and manage them.
Equally important is recognizing what can and cannot be controlled. Accepting the limits of your influence — and focusing energy on the things you can impact — provides a practical and calming structure in uncertain times.
Tools and techniques that help
The webinar touched on several practical strategies for strengthening resilience:
Small, deliberate actions: Taking small steps — even simple ones — can help maintain momentum and prevent decision paralysis.
Box breathing: A breathing technique used to calm the nervous system and reset focus.
Routines and anchors: Regular habits offer psychological stability when everything else feels uncertain.
Scenario planning: Mentally preparing for worst-case scenarios can make real crises easier to handle.
Humor and community: Laughter and social connection offer powerful support in high-pressure environments.
A collective effort
While resilience starts with the individual, its impact is collective. Organizations and communities benefit when people are equipped to handle pressure, recover from setbacks, and support one another. In this way, psychological resilience becomes not just a coping tool, but a competitive advantage — and even a pillar of national security.
Next up in the Inclus webinar series: Integrating ERM and sustainability
Our webinar series continues on May 13th with “Integrating Sustainability into Enterprise Risk Management with Digital Tools.”
Don’t miss this opportunity to explore how technology can turn ESG goals into actionable risk strategies! Secure your spot via the link below.