Resilience can be defined as our ability to bounce back from set-backs and to cope with a difficult or stressful time. It is often believed that we are inherently resilient or not so, however resilience is an active process and can be developed. Everyone is different, we react and respond in different ways to traumatic and stressful events in our lives.
In the workplace, the more resilient people will be better able to deal with the demands placed on them, heavy workloads, challenging environments and change. The less resilient often struggle with these which manifests itself as stress, ill health both physically and mentally and the inability to perform to their highest potential.
There are lots of ways to develop resilience and create habits that will increase the ability to perform under pressure both in the workplace and in life in general. Step forward and deal with your problems and meet the demands of daily living, and also step back to rest and reenergise yourself.
Here are some ways to help build resilience and cope better with the stresses of life:
Don’t overthink it – what’s the worst thing that can happen is a good question to ask yourself when faced with something traumatic, stressful and out of your comfort zone. There is always something worse and you have probably overcome worse in the past.
Stay connected – Relationships with friends, colleagues and family should be nurtured. Don’t withdraw when things are tough, talk and accept help from those close to you.
Set new goals – Develop realistic life goals for guidance and a sense of purpose. Do things that bring meaning to your life, creating one that feels good on the inside not one that just looks good on the outside.
Look after your health – Exercise regularly, eat well and sleep! Taking better care of your health will make you more confident, agile and fit – both inside and out.
Practice optimism – Make your thinking work for you, a positive outlook will help make you more resilient by focusing on the good rather than the bad.
Celebrate success – At the end of every day take some time to review what went well and give yourself a pat on the back. This helps train the mind to look for success rather than dwelling on negativity.
Express your emotions – Have open channels to express your feelings and emotions and ease tension. Mediation, keeping a journal, talking – are all ways of taking control and acknowledging how you are.
Be imperfect – We all have flaws and imperfections, accept them and work with them.
Learn lessons – Let go of asking “why me?” and instead focus on the positive lessons you can learn from your experience.
Learn from experience – Instead of focusing on the “why me?” focus on the positive lessons learnt.
Laugh – It is the best medicine!
Voltedge Management delivers Resilience Workshops to organisations providing an opportunity to develop and understand the need for resilience in a team and demonstrates the benefits to the business. Just email us on info@voltedge.ie or call Ingrid on 01 5252914.
Ingrid O’Sullivan, Operations Manager
