Resilient In The Workplace And Beyond

Today’s examination of ways to expand on your resiliency takes a holistic approach, considering ways both in and out of the workplace to create a more resilient you. You don’t have to tackle that task alone–and shouldn’t be! And your professional environment doesn’t encompass the whole of your life. Today’s suggestions and methods from the pros focus on both of those elements to help you develop your ability to bounce back quickly at work and beyond. 

In her article on “Seven Things Resilient Employees Do Differently” at Psychology Today, Paula Davis-Laack J.D., M.A.P.P. points out a key trick for resilient employees: “They develop high-quality connections. One big building block of resilience is connection, but not just any old connection. High-quality relationships are critical to resilience. According to business and psychology professor, Jane Dutton, there are four distinct pathways for building high-quality connections at work. The first is respectfully engaging others by communicating supportively and being an effective listener. Second, facilitate another person’s success with guidance, recognition, and support. Third, build trust, which can be done by relying on another person to follow through on projects and other commitments.” Make sure you’re both listening and speaking to your colleagues to ensure the strongest connections; communication is a two-way street. Express your needs while also keeping in mind that you will need to support others. And the practice you get at building up these kind of connections in your workplace is a skill that you can apply to all the other areas of your life.

Brenda Wong at Debut also offers up this stellar tip for building up your resilience: “Try to establish a good work/life balance. You know what’ll take a toll on you? A bad work/life balance. Here’s why: if your life’s purpose is tied to only one thing, you’ll be worse for wear when you encounter things that knock that purpose. It’s like what they say, right? Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. Find hobbies outside of work that bring you joy. Find a side hustle that fulfills you. Nurture the relationships you have with others outside the office, and try new things. Having a good work/life balance will help you build resilience at work because it’ll help you see that there’s just more to life. After all, you can hash out the stress from the day at the gym, or bake your worries away.” These lower moments provide a perfect time to dive into all of your interests, especially the ones you don’t get to focus on while on the clock!

While current events are certainly unprecedented circumstances, they will not last forever. Take the time now to develop a greater sense of resiliency to serve you when we come out on the other side–together. Your life then will consist of more than just work, just as it does now. Make sure you’re cultivating your strengths and interests in other areas of your life, too. This holistic approach will ensure you’re arriving to work every day as your best self. Join us again tomorrow as we finish off the week with our Feel Good Friday: Resilience edition.

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