The worldwide outbreak of Covid-19 has been a source of unexpected stress and pressure for many people, pushing boundaries and posing challenges that require immediate action.
Whilst the pandemic is a situation that highlights the importance of being resilient in the face of adversity, stress is a part of everyday life and how we tackle stress has an impact on us in a number of ways.
Even in the face of events that seem utterly unimaginable, resilience allows us to marshal the strength to not just survive but to prosper.
What is resilience?
Resilience can be misunderstood. You might think it means strapping up your boots and going to war with a situation, or being so tough that nothing impacts you emotionally, physically or mentally. Resilience doesn’t mean that nothing will ever impact or harm you. It means that if you do go through a painful or traumatic experience, you have he mental tools to feel better again. Learning to cope with our stress and finding healthy ways to deal with these situations can go a long way in living a healthy and positive life.
To some, resilience is considered the ‘miracle drug’ of personality traits.
What if I don’t feel resilient?
Fortunately, resilience is something that you can build in yourself and continue to develop. Not everyone is born with the ability to face stress in a calm or resilient way. Some of us catastrophise, worry or internalise our stress which can spill out into other aspects of our lives.
Resilience is an important ability that can affect our health, so we have to take steps to ensure we protect ourselves. To do this, resilient people utilise their resources, strengths and skills to help them thrive.
What if I see others struggling with their resilience?
When working in a team, you may notice some people aren’t themselves suddenly or generally are not naturally very resilient to stressful situations and need a little extra support to face challenges. It is possible to build resilience in others, be it colleagues, children or peers.
How do I build resilience?
Resilience takes time to cultivate and make part of our natural responses to situations. There isn’t a one size fits all approach, and you will need to practise different methods to be able to find the best way for you.
