Resilience in the workplace has become a hot topic. We live in an age of information overload, often running faster just to catch up. Organisations are acquired, merged or restructured at lightning speed.
Resilience is the capacity to maintain wellbeing and work performance under pressure, having the ability to recover from setbacks. Our natural resilience is a combination of personal characteristics and learned skills. Resilience isn’t so much a quality but an approach to thinking differently when you’re in stressful situations. Sometimes we can be quite resilient in the most challenging of circumstances and yet in others can feel quite overwhelmed to such an extent we feel helpless to do anything.
Becoming more resilient isn’t a quick fix and, like all valuable personal development, it requires commitment. But most importantly, resilience can always be developed, whatever your starting point. Here are some tips to help:
Reach out to a confident and trusted friend who might give you a different perspective - perhaps the problem isn’t so bad.
Go for a walk. As simple as it sounds, getting some fresh air can give you a lift. It will help change your perspective and negative thinking.
Achieve a small win. How do you feel when you make progress towards an important goal? Research shows that making even minor progress on meaningful work enhances your mood and motivation. Identify one or two small tasks that you can do today to move towards your most important objectives.
Get some exercise. It’s well-known that exercise can improve your mood. You could also try deep breathing or meditation. These techniques can make you feel more relaxed and peaceful, and they can help you distance yourself from what has upset you.
List the pros and cons. No matter how bad your day is, there is usually a silver lining.
No matter how bad you think things are, consider this simple but important question: Will this situation matter to you in one month? In one year? In five years? In most cases, the answer to this will be ‘no!’.
The key to being more resilient is to have self-belief, optimism, and adaptability. Being resilient does result in a positive outcome - for you, your career and your organisation.
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