Workplaces are often ever-changing and can be stressful environments that impacts how we think and behave. They can also impact the ability on how we manage from tough workloads to frustrating colleagues.
We’ve put together some tips which may help you feel more resilient.
If you or your teams need any further support, please reach out to us. Fifth Element are experienced in boosting resilience in people, teams, and organisations. We are ready to listen and help you – hello@fifthelementsolutions.com.
Resilience Tips
Realise
Everyone at some stage feels overwhelmed, anxious and can struggle to cope with life’s demands. It takes a strong person to speak out and seek help and advice. The energy that is required to mask our feelings can be exhausting! It’s ok not to be ok, realising its ok to need support from others is a game-changer.
Emotional intelligence
Daniel Goleman has spoken about the relationship between emotional intelligence and resilience by living a healthy and happy life. By not allowing circumstances to get the best of us and keep us down, we can be more resilient. When we improve our emotional intelligence and gain more emotional balance we can ‘bounce back’ when we have highly demanding workloads and in stressful times.
Here is a great 3-min watch – if you have time.
Social Skills
Social skills are needed to handle and influence other people’s emotions effectively. These can diminish if you are not feeling logical or confident. Change and anxiety can alter the way we communicate and interact with others. Consciously review your written communications to check the tone of email, listen out for your own tone of voice, be aware of body language and the words you use.
Influence
Write down your worries, concerns, and issues you have. Review them, cross out anything you are unable to influence. Put your energy and focus into where you can influence the outcome.
Learn
Take notice and learn more about how your behaviour and communication changes when you are happy and feeling safe v’s overwhelmed and stressed. Self-awareness is a life skill especially when feeling stressed, anxious, tired, hungry, and irritated – think before you react. Wait before firing off a responding email – notice when you are feeling more logical to compile a rational response.
I statement
Use ‘I statements’ when expressing how you feel to sound more assertive. “I feel overwhelmed when there are multiple conflicting deadlines”, “I’m stepping away from my desk to gather my thoughts”, “I need the deadline extended to ensure quality of work”.
Empathy
Empathy means understanding how others are experiencing situations as if we are feeling them. Taking notice of others, extending patience and kindness when others look like they are struggling or acting out of character. Seek out friends and family who can be empathetic when you need it.
Needs
Our personal needs are important, we should be paying attention to our own mental and physical energy levels. We are unable to help and support others if we are tired and exhausted. Take notice of what your needs are and give yourself permission to make you the priority.
Controlled breathing
When feeling anxious, angry, or overwhelmed, breath out for double the amount of time you breath in. For example, breath in for 4 x counts, breath out for 8. Dilute the cortisol in your blood stream and help deactivate the ‘fight or flight’ response.
Experience
Each time we bounce back after adversity we gain valuable experience of what went well and what we would do differently next time. Look for what you can take away from the experience to make you stronger next time.
