Resilience in the Workplace

The World Health Organization describes stress as the “global health epidemic of the 21st century”.  Many of us now work in the constantly connected, always on, highly demanding work cultures where stress and risk of burnout are widespread.  Employers and policy makers are increasingly taking the stress, anxiety and depressions affecting employees much more seriously.

Every year, an estimated 17 million work days are lost to stress, anxiety and depression, according to Mental Health Foundation.  Employers are increasingly recognizing the damage that stress can do in the workplace, including:

  • Lost productivity due to staff absence;
  • Increased workloads for workers who have to cover their colleagues work;
  • Higher staff turnover.

What is resilience?

Resilience is the ability of a person to:

  • Adjust to adversity;
  • Maintain their equilibrium;
  • Hold on to some sense of control over their environment;
  • Move forward in a positive manner.

Some people cope with stressful situations better than others, mainly due to being more resilient.  These people thrive whilst others around them crumble under the pressure.  But the good news is that resilience is not a fixed entity and isn’t something that a person is blessed with, or not.  It can be taught and the workplace is an ideal place for people to learn to build their resilience.  

What threatens resilience and mental health in the workplace?

Workplaces can present many challenges including some negative situations:

  • Excessive workload;
  • Lack of autonomy;
  • Bullying;
  • Organizational restructuring;
  • Lack of managerial support or teamwork.

Workplaces are changing rapidly due to globalization, and these can also bring stress due to:

  • International customers and partner organizations in different time zones – an end to fixed working hours and down time;
  • Decline of the “Job for life” – millenials are becoming more selective about the jobs and environments they work in;
  • New technologies that demand constantly updated skills and expertise.

How employers can help boost resilience

There are a number of things employers can do to help build resilience amongst staff.

  • Encourage physical wellbeing;
  • Promote a healthy psychological environment;
  • Provide specialist support to help maintain good physical and mental health;
  • Promote open communication and strong social networks

How employees can help themselves

  • Building and maintaining good friendships and family relationships;
  • Being positive and optimistic;
  • Keeping perspective – not turning a drama into crisis;
  • Nurturing a positive self-perception;
  • Taking time to recharge – take regular breaks, leaving work on time, taking holidays;
  • Practicing mindfulness and meditation as a tool for confronting and managing stress.

More than five decades of research point to the fact that resilience is built by attitudes, behaviors and social supports that can be adopted and cultivated by anyone.  Factors that lead to resilience include optimism; the ability to stay balanced and manage strong or difficult emotions; a sense of safety and a strong social support system.  The good news is that because there is a concrete set of behaviors and skills associated with resilience, you can learn to be more resilient.  Since the pace and intensity of this work culture are not likely to change, it is more important than ever to build resilience skills to effectively navigate your work-life.  

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