What are the warning signs of an empty resilience tank?
HOW TO KNOW WHEN IT’S TIME TO PAUSE
In my experience, there are four primary indicators that tend to show up each time my resilience tank is running low. They don’t always show up in the same order but, without fail, they will show up one after the other, until I have no choice but to pause and take inventory.
Too Tired to Rest
The first indicator that usually shows up is full-on exhaustion with its best friend overwhelm. You’ll be struggling just to keep up, let alone get ahead. This is a sign that you’re trying to do too much and you’re spread too thin. This vulnerable position doesn’t leave much space for resilience or rest, healing or clarity.
With Exhaustion Comes Doubt
The second indicator that shows up when we start to lack clarity, Empty Resilience or peace is doubt. You’ll start to doubt yourself about things you were certain about yesterday. You’ll wonder if you’re really cut out for this. You’ll question your abilities and your decisions. This is a sign that you’re losing confidence in yourself – and that your resilience tank is running low.
And Then Everything Becomes Unsteady
The third indicator that typically shows up once we start experiencing self-doubt is how much change rocks our world- not in a good way. You’ll find it harder and harder to adapt to change, no matter how big or how small. The world around you will seem to be moving faster and you’ll feel like you’re falling behind. This is a sign that you’re no longer able to adapt as quickly as you need to and one of the warning signs I talk about in my new book, Change Proof. This feeling of being left behind or unable to keep up is symptomatic of a low resilience reserve.
Lastly, you’ll start to see yourself as separate from others. You’ll feel isolated and alone. You won’t feel like part of a team or a community anymore. Your level of self-pity will be increasing with each day and your brain will be hazy, wondering how you spiraled to this point so quickly. When you’ve lost your connection to others, life can seem very bleak.
Avoiding the Inevitable of Empty Resilience
These are just some of the warning signs of an empty resilience tank. And living through this cycle in my personal life for many years is what brought me to the work I’m doing now. This cycle of burnout, due to an empty resilience tank, can be avoided.
In fact, people who keep their resilience tank full (Change Proof peeps!) often avoid the cycle altogether because they are consciously taking time each day and week to reset and refill that resilience tank.
In a world where rapid change is now our near-daily norm, it’s important to get ahead of these cycles that take over our lives, sometimes without us even realizing it, until we’re in the midst of chaos, trying to figure out how to get back on stable ground.
Resilience is the one quality that provides us the ability to recover quickly from setbacks, adapt to change, and keep going even when the going gets tough. Empty Resilience is a skill that can be developed, which requires practice and attention.
If you or your team are experiencing any of these Empty Resilience warning signs, it’s time to take action like engaging with a resilience or leadership keynote speaker and take care of your resilience tank, so you can take on each day with a clear mind and a strong resolve.
ARTICLE ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON ADAM MARKEL BLOG
Contact us at Speakers Inc and follow us on Twitter
How much could your team accomplish if they felt safe they couldn’t fail with a SAFETY NET? In San Francisco on January 5th 1933 construction began on the Golden Gate Bridge. The chief engineer assigned to the project was Joseph Strauss. Bridge building was extremely dangerous back then and the industry norm was one construction […]
Do You Have Blinders On? as Confirmation bias is a term we’ve heard a lot over the last few years as science has become a debate topic and you hear qualified experts providing completely opposite interpretations on the same topic. But what role does it play in your life if you aren’t doing studies and […]
You cave to peer pressure and put your name in a contest to riding the bull. Suddenly – you win! What was a joke and dare moments before, you now see your name on the rodeo board, everyone is freaking out with excitement because you were chosen, and the exhilaration quickly turns to dread. This […]
Welcome to the Dunder Mifflin Leadership Wisdom, where we draw inspiration from the legendary antics of The Office’s Michael Scott, Jim Halpert, and even Dwight Schrute. While the show may be known for its hilarious mishaps and quirky characters, there’s an underlying theme that every leader can learn from: the importance of motivating your staff. […]
I’ve often wished there were a remote control for real life that let you fast forward through the unpleasant parts and pause on the good stuff for one tech-free day. There’s not, but there is a practice that will put you back in control of your time. To explain, I need to hit rewind. Ten […]
Go ahead and search ‘happy employees lead to successful companies’ and you will be bombarded with consistent uplifting messages about employees and happiness (LinkedIn, Fast Company, Business Insider, Fortune). Just about every content piece promotes employee happiness benefiting organizations at large. That is why, contrary to consistent media, I couldn’t believe that Phil Rosenzweig in The Halo Effect completely disagreed. With the […]
Diversity training is valuable for increasing inclusion and fostering a more positive work environment. But not all diversity training is created equal. In order to be effective, diversity training should include certain key elements that can benefit your participants and your organization as a whole. For example, many organizations focus exclusively on race or ethnicity […]
A Corporate Event Not Built Around a Speaker – They’re Just an Add-On Rethinking the Role of Speakers in Corporate Events For years, the keynote speaker has been viewed as the defining element of corporate events. But let’s face it: in today’s rapidly evolving business world, successful events are not structured around a single person […]
Our Mission:
© All rights reserved 2026. Designed using Voxel
