The uncertainty across so many sectors is enough to test the
most positive of individuals. Business leaders across the globe are trying to
manage the ever-changing landscape and keep afloat through the in and out of
lockdown and restrictions.
A resilient mindset is an important asset for today’s
leaders to have. Resilient people are better able to cope with change,
challenges and stressful periods in their professional life.
The benefits of a more resilient mindset in our careers are
abundant, so building resilience is key. Here are some practices that can help
build your resilience.
1. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness has been found to enhance cognitive flexibility,
decrease stress and boost creativity. In its simplest form, mindfulness means
awareness of the present moment, and it enables us to refocus on our work and
its purpose. When change, challenges and stress are upon us, mindfulness will
provide emotional regulation, decreased reactivity and increased response
flexibility.
2. Maintain a strong support network
Asking for help is never a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of
resilience. Having a support network, both in and out of the workplace, can
help to improve resilience. Good relationships encourage positive emotions and
increase our sense of belonging and self-worth, which are particularly
important when we’re faced with adversity.
In the workplace, maintaining trusting relationships with
your team are all valuable. When you feel supported in your work environment,
you’re more likely to perform at your best and bounce back from hardship. So,
invest in building these relationships and be particularly mindful of when
others may need some support from you.
In your personal life, your support network is just as
important for working through and moving on from stressful periods. Sometimes
just telling the people close to you how you’re feeling can make a big
difference. While you may not feel you can be 100% honest with your peers and
managers at work, you can be with your personal support network.
You should also consider engaging a Business or Life Coach
if you haven't already, this critical friend resource can provide the
confidential space to offload whilst working with you to develop solutions to
challenges at work or home.
3. Compartmentalise
People are notoriously bad at multi-tasking, and almost as
notorious for thinking that we’re good at it. According to recent research
published by the British Psychological Association, switching from one task to
another invites in distractions and reduces productivity by as much as 40%.
When we divide up the day’s tasks into blocks and take short breaks between each, our brains can refresh for the next task ahead. This boosts our productivity and reduces the anxiety that comes with feeling that we have a million things to get done. Our brains can build resilience by enforcing these internal rules to stop us from worrying about multiple priorities at once.
It’s also important to leave work at work. People who enjoy
regular leisure time are more likely to demonstrate resilient thinking as they
allow their brain to refresh. Exercise also helps at a biological level to
reduce stress and improve resilience. Try a brisk lunch time walk to blow away
the morning’s worries and approach the afternoon with a new outlook.
4. Develop mental agility
Resilience is all about being able to step out of a
situation and look at it objectively, rather than becoming engrossed in it.
Resilient people can see beyond a current patch of adversity and draw on wider
knowledge to put it into context. In other words, they demonstrate mental
agility.
Being mentally agile and decentring stress when it occurs
enables the core resilience skill of “response flexibility.” When you stop and
put a situation into perspective, you not only enable a clearer response, but
you strengthen your belief that adversity can be overcome.
Just like regular physical exercise strengthens your
muscles, regular mental exercise will strengthen your cognitive agility. When
things seem hard, stop and think about what else is going well. Remind yourself
of times in the past when you’ve triumphed over a difficult situation. It can
also be effective to break issues down into smaller goals so that they seem
surmountable. Avoid ‘all or nothing’ thinking and be prepared for mistakes or
setbacks to happen – they’re completely normal.
5. Avoid the 3 Ps
Personal: all too often people blame themselves when
a bad event occurs, this leads to a spiral effect and if not dealt with can
lead to stress, depression and thoughts of suicide.
Preponderance: to laser-focus on the event and
associated feeling to the exclusion of all else
Permanent: to believe the feelings and emotions will
not pass.
It is your responsibility as a business leader to build your
resilience and show the way, to lead you and your business out of the current
climate. I have spoken in previous blogs that it is our SME community across
the globe that will drive a new future and ensure the future success of our
respective markets.
No-one can be held to account for wavering, and if you
haven't in the last year then you're either an android or exceptionally
resilient already, and if that's the case please use some Emotional
Intelligence to ensure your peers can see a way forward.
Comments
Post a Comment