The year's not over, but Liggy Webb is already gearing up for January. This way for resilience advice.

With the new year nearly upon us, you may well already be reflecting on what has gone well this year and what you would like to improve on for the year ahead. Perhaps you have experienced some challenges in 2014? How you deal with these challenges can play a major part in the ultimate outcome and also your long-term psychological wellbeing.

Here are a few tips to hep you to be more resilient in 2015:

Take a journey of self discovery

Self-awareness and self-confidence play an essential role in helping you to cope with stress and recover from difficult events. Understanding yourself is the first port of call and then reminding yourself of your strengths and accomplishments is key. Becoming more confident about your own ability to respond and deal with crisis is a great way to build resilience for the future. Challenges can be stepping stones or stumbling blocks. It's just a matter of how you view them and how much faith you have in yourself to overcome them.

Be positive

Staying positive during dark periods can be difficult and it is important to maintain a hopeful outlook. Being an optimist does not mean being naive and ignoring the problem. It means understanding that setbacks are transient and that you have the skills and abilities to combat the challenges you face. There is a huge risk when something difficult arises that you fall into the pessimistic trap of believing that everything is doom and gloom. So much of resilience is about how you choose to react to each situation and an optimistic perspective will most certainly lead you in a more positive direction.

Embrace change

Being positive about change is a really good approach. You may not be able to control or change circumstances; however, you can absolutely change your attitude towards them so you are far more in control than you think. Flexibility is an essential part of being able to manage change and, by learning how to be more adaptable, you will be much better equipped to respond to any life crisis you experience. Resilient people often use these events as an opportunity to branch out in new directions. While some people may be crushed by abrupt changes, highly resilient individuals are able to adapt and thrive.

Cope well with conflict

Conflict is an inevitable part of life. We all have different personalities and along with those go belief systems, values, perspectives, likes and dislikes. Some conflict can be difficult and, at times, unsettling – especially if you take it personally and are very sensitive. The outcome of conflict, however, can be very positive. It can help you to create new ideas, learn from others, understand yourself better, see different perspectives and improve your own communication. Learning how to cope with and manage conflict is a very important life skill in the increasingly diverse world that we live in.

Embrace probortunities

The word 'probortunity' is a hybrid between the word 'problem' and 'opportunity' and looks at the concept of taking every problem situation and seeking out the opportunity. It works on the premise that even in every crisis situation an opportunity will arise and there will be some benefit. It is a useful approach to problems and helps you come at them from a positive angle. Developing a good set of problem-solving skills is a valuable toolkit to equip yourself with and knowing what practical steps to take will give you confidence when you are faced with adversity.

Keep going

Winston Churchill summed this up perfectly. “If you are going through hell, keep going.” There is a lot be said for picking yourself up, dusting yourself off and carrying on. Being resilient is about the ability to bounce back and get on with life. The key is to think of each setback or upset as a stepping stone and it is really important to be able to do this as quickly as possible. Letting go of the angst that you experience too is very important rather than carrying lots of negative baggage with you that will just weigh you down and make the journey ahead more difficult.

In summary

Resilience is an essential life skill and as the demands and challenges of modern life become a little tougher, it’s good to ensure that you are well equipped to deal with whatever life throws at you.

Email liggy@liggywebb.com for free access to an online life skills library and to enter a competition for Liggy’s bestselling book 'Resilience – How to cope when everything around you keeps changing'