Building Resilience

Resilience is not a "nice-to-have" skill- it’s a necessity, especially when you consider the often endless demands of our modern world.  Whether it's adapting to new technologies, navigating challenging economic circumstances, or dealing with the pressures of day-to-day work, building resilience at work is essential.

Resilience is the ability to recover from difficulties and adapt to change while maintaining a sense of balance. It’s about developing the mental, emotional, and physical stamina needed to face challenges, manage stress, and continue to grow even in the toughest of circumstances.

The good news? Resilience is not an innate trait; it can be cultivated through intentional practices and mindsets.

There are many different elements to building resilience. Here are a few of them and some questions to consider for yourself in your exploration:

Perspective-taking

Perspective-taking expands choice options. The act of gaining perspective allows resilient people to focus their efforts on those things they can change and accept those things they cannot. Essentially how we look first for the positive and not go straight to the negative.

• Are you able to positively reframe negative experiences and find opportunity in adversity?
• Are you able to accept what you cannot change, and focus your efforts on those things you can?

Cultivating your Emotional Intelligence

Being aware of how we react, respond and behave in times of stress is so important to be better able to manage our own emotions well while at the same time navigating the emotions of others.

• Do you acknowledge your own feelings and express them appropriately?
• ­Are you able to change your mood when you need to?
• ­How intentional are you about providing support to others?

Going back to purpose

Purpose, as we know, is an anchor during times of change. It centres us. Reconnects us to our why we do what we do. Helps us answer the question of ‘why should we keep going?’ It fuels our intrinsic motivation. Provides long term perspective and can even foster collective resilience.

• Do you have a clear sense of purpose at work?
• ­ Do you have a clear sense of your personal strengths and make the opportunity to use them regularly in your work?
• ­Do you have a clear sense of your own values and act in a way consistent with those values?

Building connections

People who are able to stay resilient in challenging times have a wide network to draw on, both to get things done and to provide support. Connections are not only one way, however, and there is a great deal of evidence to support the strength that helping others gives us.

• Do you have a strong and reliable network inside and outside of work?
• ­Are you able to meet your varied needs through a diverse support network?

Maintaining our physical and mental health

Energy for the road ahead is super important. Keeping physically fit, eating well, and giving ourselves the time away from work to engage in activities that bring us joy all help.

• Do you make time to exercise regularly?
• ­Do you get enough sleep?
• ­Do you make sure you eat a healthy diet?
• ­Do you make time in your schedule for the pursuit of activities that give you joy and/or help you relax?

Developing your problem-solving skills

Resilience is about facing problems head-on and finding solutions, even in difficult or uncertain situations. When people try to be proactive problem solvers they tend to experience less stress because they feel more in control.

• Are you solution-driven or do you tend to get stuck in the problem?
• ­Are you able to face fully negative information whilst not dwelling on it?

Conclusion

Investing in resilience is a long-term investment in yourself, helping you become better equipped to navigate the inevitable ups and downs of life. By developing a mindset and toolkit that helps you adapt to challenges, bounce back from setbacks, and thrive under pressure, you ultimately equip yourself to face uncertainty with more confidence.