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Bouncing forward
Resilience is about ‘bouncing back’ from adversity, but it’s even better if we can ‘bounce forward’. The good news is we can learn skills to build personal resilience that help in the workplace and at home
Resilience may be a buzzword in the workplace, but it’s a concept that infiltrates our whole life. ‘Resilience incorporates being well in the different aspects of our life—emotionally, spiritually and physically,’ says Libby Wilson, Human Resources Officer for The Salvation Army, who organised resiliency training for the organisation last year.
Gone are the days when we neatly compartmentalise our lives into work, home and sleep—and with modern technology we can be available 24/7. ‘We undermine our resiliency because we’re always available and always being interrupted. The number of stimulus we encounter is overloading our systems,’ explains Libby—adding that something as simple as turning off email alerts on your phone when you’re not at work can help.
Those within The Salvation Army need resilience because they’re typically people who really want to make a difference and who serve in areas where there’s frequently more work to do, Libby says. ‘Finding meaning in your work is really good for resiliency, but you have to maintain really good boundaries to know when to switch off from work and rest.’
Several key factors help build resiliency, she says.
- A sense that you are making a contribution to society and finding meaning in your work.
- Looking after yourself through nutrition and exercise, which keeps oxygen and blood pumping through your body, and helps ‘mop up’ excess stress hormones.
- Connectedness—having friends you can talk to who will help you with processing issues in your life.
- Mindfulness, which is the practice of being in the moment.
- Learning and developing, and taking opportunities to grow.
- Setting goals and moving towards them.
- Taking charge of your thinking—the biggest impact on your resiliency is your thought patterns.
Even in the workplace, it is an individual’s choice to build their own resiliency. No one else can do it for us, ‘because it’s about the things we say to ourselves, and the way we think,’ explains Libby.
Re-thinking our thinking
Negative thought patterns can include ‘catastrophizing’ (jumping to the worst case scenario) and ‘black and white’ thinking. Libby gives the example of a parent yelling at their kids. ‘They may think, “I’ve yelled at my kids, I’m a horrible mum”, but that’s black and white thinking. It’s more helpful to think, “I wish I hadn’t yelled at my kids. I did a lot of good things today and I’m an okay mum, but this is something I can work on.” ’
Studies reveal that resilient people show optimism during hard times, and hold on to the belief that things will get better. They look to learn from difficulties, and experience personal growth as a result.
The good news is that research also shows resilience can be learnt and improved, says clinical psychologist Gaynor Parkin, who facilitated The Salvation Army’s resiliency training. The key is developing ‘flexible thinking’ that allows people to work out options when things don’t go to plan. This goes hand in hand with building ‘realistic optimism’. This is different from rigid positive thinking, as it acknowledges difficult situations but uses ‘the cognitive skills of remaining hopeful when things are difficult, taking action to resolve problems’.
For example, if someone is running late for a job interview, catastrophic thinking would be: ‘Oh no, I’m never going to get this new job. I’m going to be stuck in my job forever. I’ll be a failure all my life!’ But more optimistic, flexible thinking would be: ‘Okay, I’m running late. I’ll pull over and call them and tell them the traffic is really bad—it happens to everyone, so they may understand. Even if I don’t get the job, there will be other opportunities.’
Many circumstances out of our control can erode resiliency, like a moody workmate or a boss who constantly undermines us. ‘Strategies for staying resilient include identifying the other person’s behaviour and that it isn’t acceptable,’ explains Libby. ‘Identify strategies, options and goals to address the problem. Change your thinking so you stay hopeful and flexible, and keep things in perspective.’
Slowing Down
We can also learn to react more positively to difficult situations by catching negative thought patterns, arresting them and turning them around. Libby points out that God encourages us to think positive thoughts: ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God ... whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things’ (Philippians 4:6-9).
Practicing mindfulness is a way to ‘think about such things’ and then hand them over to God. ‘It’s about slowing down to focus on the task at hand,’ Libby explains. ‘We spend a lot of time rehashing the past—which is okay as long as you learn from it. We also worry about the future—which is also okay if you are going to make a plan. But sometimes these things sit in the back of your mind creating negative thought patterns—you have to actively decide to be in the present.’
Modern workplace culture often encourages a frantic pace and frenetic multi-tasking, but these are some of the biggest drains to both resilience and productivity. ‘A lot of current research has found that “multi-tasking” is a myth,’ Libby says. ‘People are designed to do a task and be on task, then move on to another task. So, we slow down and practice mindfulness in order to be more productive.’
Ultimately, resilient people don’t just bounce back, they bounce forward—learning and growing with life’s changing circumstances. Libby points out some words of Jesus that are a call to a resilient life:
‘Are you tired? Worn out? … Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.’ (Matthew 11:28-30, The Message)
by Ingrid Barratt (c) 'War Cry' magazine, 21 March 2015, pp10-11.
You can read 'War Cry' at your nearest Salvation Army church or centre, or subscribe through Salvationist Resources.