Welcome to my first blog post. I hope you find the content engaging, meaningful, but above all, useful. We live in an age where self-help resources abound, yet differentiating ourselves from our peers in the workplace has become increasingly difficult.
In my line of work, I am exposed to so many practical self-help tools and I would love to share these with you, my readers. You can look forward to monthly blogs - just sharing my thoughts and views on topical leadership issues.
Covid 19 has had an adverse impact on many employees across the globe. The change in our working world has been exponential and often exhausting. It is within this context that a client of mine asked me to write an article that would encourage resilience in the workplace. I hope you enjoy the read.
“The oak fought the wind and was broken, the willow bent when it must and survived.”
― Robert Jordan, The Fires of Heaven
Resilience is critical to survival in disruptive times.
Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.
Resilient people are higher performers and respond better to change.
Develop resilience by seeking understanding from your setbacks, building a strong support network, establishing a good work/life balance, taking care of your health, crafting a great comeback plan and acknowledging that building resilience is a marathon – not a sprint.
It goes without saying that 2020 has been a year like no other. Covid-19 and the subsequent national lockdown implemented in March 2020 disrupted our lives in ways that few thought possible. Homeschooling our kids, working remotely and online meetings have been at the order of the day. Lockdown has been tough on us all – for some, both mentally and physically…
You may be asking yourself, “How do I survive disruptive times like these?” The answer is by being more resilient.
What is resilience?
According to the Oxford Dictionary, resilience is defined as “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.” In layman’s terms, it is our ability to keep calm and carry on in the face of any challenge that comes our way. Easier said than done? Not if you have an actionable recipe for success.
Why is resilience so important?
Studies have found that resilient people are higher performers and respond better to change. They are also more motivated, build better working relationships and have effective ways of protecting themselves against stress.
How do I become more resilient?
Seek understanding from your setbacks. Life happens... Setbacks happen... Tough circumstances happen... Take time to process the emotions – be it frustration, anger, sadness etc. – that come with it. However, be careful not to dwell on those emotions too long. Do your best to reflect on the lessons you learnt about yourself and your circumstances and how these lessons can be used to your benefit when faced with a similar situation in future.
Build a strong support network. It is difficult to endure tough times without a strong support network to tap into for encouragement, guidance and support when needed. Make a concerted effort to build a network of people – both personal and professional – that you can draw from during difficult times. It is encouraging to know that you are not alone in your struggle and to learn from others who may have been in similar situations as well. There truly is strength in numbers.
Establish a good work/life balance. It is easy to become overwhelmed by your circumstances when you lack balance and the line between work and your personal life is blurred. If your life’s purpose is tied to only one thing, you’ll be worse for the wear when you encounter things that shake that purpose to its core. Find a hobby outside of work that brings you joy or spend time nurturing relationships that are important to you. This will remind you that there is much more to life than you may believe.
Take care of your health. Oh, dear… I’m sure you will agree that is challenging to remain focused on your health when faced with difficult circumstances. It is, however, difficult to be mentally resilient when you are physically unwell. Physical and mental health are interlinked and tackling them holistically is a great way to build resilience.
Be compassionate to yourself. Let’s face it - we all make mistakes and sometimes get things wrong. It is crucial not to fall into the trap of self-loathing and dwell on the mistake for an undetermined amount of time. You are a human being and humans make mistakes, so be compassionate to yourself and move on from your mistakes. Lose the guilt, but not the lesson.
Create a great comeback plan. The old cliché saying goes, “It’s not the number of times we fall that matter, it’s the number of times we get up, that do”. When you are going through a tough time – albeit work or personal – take time to reflect... More importantly though – act. Brainstorm ideas of how you can deal with the situation in a productive, meaningful way and do your best to transcend your circumstances. That is true resilience.
Resilience is a marathon, not a sprint. Wouldn’t it be lovely to wake up tomorrow morning and miraculously find yourself to be the most resilient human being alive? Unfortunately, life just doesn’t work this way. Resilience is a skill that is built over time. You must allow yourself time to reflect, learn, grow and bounce back after every challenge. It’s okay if you do not get it right the first time - every time. It is, however, not okay to be passive throughout the journey and simply submit to your circumstances.
Take time to reflect on the points above and note down the specific areas that need more of your time and attention. Be specific about the changes you need to make and add the specific actions you will take to implement these changes daily. Should you apply these tips in your day-to-day life, you are likely to build your resilience, perform better at work and deal with stressful situations more effectively.
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