Events happen all the time in our lives. You cannot entirely avoid pain, difficulty or tragedy. At some point, these things will present themselves. It is a part of the human condition that goes with everyday living, but you need to know how to meet those challenges and move on.
Today’s business world encourages an ‘always-on’ lifestyle. It’s a fast-paced environment that promotes 24/7 connectivity. Trying to meet such high expectations is what can lead to stress in the first place as you struggle to cope with the constant pressure or you run yourself into the ground, finding yourself on the road to burnout. Not only this, but it’s an ever-changing world. Companies are always looking to improve, develop or expand. You might start to feel unsure about the changes you’re facing at work and worried about your place and role within the company. This level of uncertainty can lead to increased stress which you might feel you lack the ability to stay in control of as you don’t have the answers you need.
What is Resilience?
Resilience is an innate quality found within us all. It is largely based upon our own beliefs, character and experiences but also by our perspective and mental state; how we approach and respond to failures or setbacks. Resilient people will generally be able to move on from failures quicker and more effectively, they see the lessons to be learned rather than accepting defeat, they’ll move forward with great optimism despite facing setbacks that make others want to wallow in self-pity.
For senior management, resilience is the key to being adaptable. It can help you to view change as an opportunity and to learn from those things that didn’t work, rather than remaining fixed in one direction or feeling defeated in the wake of failure. It isn’t just about recovering quickly, but the consequential learning is just as valuable. Knowing and preparing for the possibility of setbacks to occur is a huge part of acquiring and utilising resilience. Resilience Workshops can help you to spot triggers and issues before they occur as preventative measures can often prove more vital than the management and resolution stages.
Despite starting out at a lower vantage point, you have the ability to improve and build positive mental habits to increasing your resilience.
Tips to Raise your Resilience
- Rely on relationships
Maintain close contact with those around you who you trust. Reach out to mentors, colleagues or friends for guidance in difficult times. Being able to rely on the right people, with the assurance that they’ll be there for you, can prove vital in getting you through hardship. Social support has even been linked to improved mental health, reduced stress and higher levels of motivation.
2. Take action
You will always feel better by taking control of the situation. Many people become more stressed and unable to deal with a given situation because they feel helpless. However, resilient people take action even when the outcomes are ambiguous. Don’t be a result, be a force.
3. Stay on top of self-care
Resilience requires energy, motivation and drive. These things will be lacking without sufficient fuel, rest and recovery. Eat well, sleep enough, exercise regularly and take time out for those things that you really enjoy. Mix with positive people who will make you feel good about yourself. Neglecting self-care will only make you feel even worse and put you at a disadvantage to meet your challenges.
4. Keep a check on your emotions
For many, stress can manifest itself in a variety of negative reactions – outbursts of anger, sadness or refusing to deal with the situation. It is important to take the time to understand the circumstances and process your emotions to make you more clear-headed about what to do next.
5. Remember perspective
Never lose sight of where you want to be and why you want it, both now and in the future. Don’t let one bad situation affect your overall view of life. It is normal to feel disappointed but you should not be defeated. Life has plenty to offer, good and bad, so keep this in the back of your mind while you ride out the bad.
6. Practise Mindfulness
Although you can’t change the fact that setbacks and disappointment will occur, you can change the way you react. Find the lesson in the failure. Mindfulness can help with this, encouraging you to change the way that you think and feel about stressful experiences. Much of your stress is caused by worrying about the future or over-analysing the past. Mindfulness teaches you to be present, meaning you have nothing to think about besides that very moment.
Developing resilience means you have the capability to bounce back. It is hugely important in the workplace as it promotes the ability to adapt, remain inspiring and motivating through difficult times, and to respond positively to periods of change.
It allows you to feel in control of your own mental and physical wellbeing and can alter how you react to events outside of your control. It can help employees to cope with their daily pressures, preventing this from growing and developing into stress. If you’ve got this far with the article and you do not recognise yourself as a resilient person but you want to be, we can show you how. Coaching and training can equip you with the ability to reduce pressure and stress, promoting a healthy and happy workplace culture, building the resilience of you, your team and your organisation. Don’t let setbacks get you down. Pick yourself up, move on, and do better from it!
