Resilience

We have spent the last few months adapting the way we live and work and slowly accepting the reality of living in a global pandemic. We have moved past the initial crisis mode but how do we sustain these new ways of working and living?

There are commonalities in how we respond to change as shown in the Kubler-Ross Change Curve model below.  However we all process change differently and I wonder where on the curve you would currently place yourself? Many of us have moved on from shock and denial to acceptance, but many of us are tired and how do we keep going, particularly when we don’t know how long it’s for?

I’ve been reflecting this week on resilience, and what it means to keep going in the context of ongoing stress and uncertainty. Psychologists define resilience as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress. I think a global pandemic and nationwide lockdown qualifies as the latter!

When we are resilient it doesn’t mean that we don’t experience the emotional responses to change such as fear, anger and frustration, but it does mean that we can manage and move through change more quickly and with a better sense of overall wellbeing.

So how do we build resilience?

The first step is to develop good wellbeing habits in terms of  sleep, movement, relationships, rest, nutrition. This ensures we have the mental, emotional and physical energy to cope with the demands being placed on us each day. 

If you’re not sure where to start you might find my Wellbeing Toolkit helpful, you can download it here. The toolkit will help you create your own Wellbeing Plan that you can start implementing straight away.

The second step is to develop your resilience skills. Resilience is a combination of personal characteristics and skills. Resilience skills are practical and can be learned.

Robertson Cooper are a team of business and wellbeing experts who specialise in helping people build resilience. They have created a resilience model which came from research from the 9/11 attacks. By examining how survivors made their way through the crisis, they identified the factors which supported people in healthily navigating change. 

There are four resilience strategies identified in their model and they say that by using a blend of each of these, we can start to come through change in a healthier state.

4 Resilience Strategies:

Confidence - a belief in your own capabilities and your ability to deal with stressful situations.

Purpose - having a clear sense of purpose and direction in your job and life carries you through stressful times. 

Social Support - having good relationships that mean you seek support rather than trying to cope on your own.

Adaptability - the ability to be flexible in our thinking and behaviour and adapt to changing stations beyond our control.

When you look at these four strategies I wonder if a particular one jumps out at you? Which of these could you focus on a little more in the coming weeks? Perhaps you’ve known for a while now that you want a clearer sense of purpose and direction, or that you want an increased sense of confidence in your own abilities. I’m planning to sit down with my journal this weekend and brainstorm some ideas for each of the 4 strategies above. Small actions I can take like being intentional about specific relationships and reminding myself of my purpose. 

If you would like help creating some strategies that will sustain you through this period of uncertainty then coaching may give you the support and space you need. If you’ve never experienced coaching before and you’re not sure what it involves you can book a free 20 minute taster session or an exploratory conversation where you can find out more about what coaching is and how it might help you. Just send me a message, I’d love to hear from you.