Resilience: not just surviving but thriving
Coming back to work after the Christmas and New Year period can be uninspiring to say the least, writes LEEA Events Manager, Katherine Wright. We can feel tired and sluggish, and not prepared for the onslaught of deadlines and stress. Here at LEEA, Jessica Coxsedge our HR manager led a session on mental resilience, leading to the question: how can we become more resilient when facing adversity?
A common misconception is that resilience is merely about coping. However it isn't just about weathering through the failures and setbacks, it's about how we can come back from them and adapt.
Some of the solutions to this are longer term and can't be accomplished overnight, such as building positive self-belief and establishing goals. Others may require an adjustment to the mindset – embracing change and being optimistic. And, of course, there is something that we just never seem to find the time for – looking after ourselves.
For those solutions that require a change of mindset, it can be a matter of resisting familiar but negative thought processes – such as 'I can't do this, I'm not good enough at my job' – and making a conscious effort to think differently. Now I know it's easier to say than do, but negative thought processes are learned, which means it is also possible to learn positive ones.
And looking after yourselves, just ask ‘when are you most relaxed?’. Is it on a walk, spending time with family, or just having a ‘cuppa’?
In an age of raising awareness on mental health, nurturing resilience is a way to be prepared face those tough times. Please find some free resources below:
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/resilience.htm
https://www.cipd.co.uk/podcasts/resilience
And on that note… back to my huge to-do list!
