Practical tools for navigating tough times and building resilience.

Life doesn’t always unfold the way we expect. Difficult events, loss and unwanted change can leave us feeling overwhelmed, uncertain and unsure of what will help.

In this practical half-day workshop, internationally respected resilience researcher, Dr Lucy Hone, draws on more than 20 years of research and her own lived experience to explore what helps people cope when life gets hard and we’re faced with loss.

Rather than expecting ourselves to simply “bounce back” or stay positive, Lucy shares evidence-based strategies for navigating uncertainty, managing difficult thoughts and emotions, and making better use of the strengths, relationships and resources we already have around us.

Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their own experiences and practise tools they can use in everyday life. The workshop will also explore why connection and community matter so much for resilience.

Practical, compassionate, raw and real, this workshop is designed to help people better understand their own responses to adversity and leave feeling more confident about what they can do to support themselves and those around them.

By the end of the workshop, participants will:

• Better understand common human responses to loss, uncertainty and adversity

• Cultivate practical strategies to manage overwhelm and difficult emotions

• Identify personal strengths and resources they can draw on when times are tough

• Explore ways to maintain hope and a sense of agency when circumstances cannot easily be changed

Ths  workshop is designed for the wider community. No previous knowledge or experience is required.

Lucy Hone is regarded as a thought leader in the field of resilience psychology, her professional expertise was tested in the most personal of ways when her 12-year-old daughter was killed in a horrific motor accident. Adjunct senior fellow at the University of Canterbury, she is an internationally sought-after professional speaker, bestselling author and award-winning academic. Her first book Resilient Grieving was released in 2017. Her latest book, How Will I Ever Get Through This? was released internationally in February 2026.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, her TED talk, 3 Secrets of Resilient People, went viral, becoming one of the top 20 most-watched TED talks of 2020 and is ranked among the Top 100 must watch TED talks of all time.

Lucy now writes and runs courses to help people cope with all types of loss, enabling them to be active participants in their grief process. Her work is regularly featured in global media, including The Guardian, The Washington Post, BBC, CBS, and the ABC.

This Bondi Books & Ideas Weekend event is presented by Waverley Council, with support from Gertrude & Alice Cafe Bookstore. With thanks to Allen & Unwin.

Check out the video below