Times are rough - you are tough (resilience - yeah!)
They are the ones who focus their energy on getting the job done when things get tough. Even when times are difficult they stay mentally and physically healthy.
You may find them working out their frustration at the gym. Perhaps they are meditating in work breaks or before bed. They are the people focusing on solutions and opportunities to improve when it feels like the walls are crumbling around us.
Resilient people are able to deal with uncertainty and react positively to change.
I'm sure we'd love all our employees we have at work to be showing resilience when times are tough.
Previously I've provided tips about building an armour of resilience with our workers. However, if you are a leader in your workplace, you need to understand you can't build a resilient team unless you're resilient yourself.
"Eeek", I hear some of you screaming...
You need to be prepared both physically and mentally to climb that pile of wall rubble once everything has crashed down around you. So let me share with you five ways you can do this.
1. Take Care of Yourself
It takes time and effort to keep yourself physically ready, but your improved capacity for change will make it well worth the effort. Take care of yourself by getting regular checkups, exercising often and maintaining a healthy diet.
Moving is better than sitting on the couch or at the desk all day. If you aren't currently doing any physical activity, you can start by gradually building up to being active every davy of the week. This doesn't mean you have to be hitting the gym every day for hours on end. Think about walking up stairs instead of taking the lift. Try "walk and talk" meetings.
What's the recommended amount of exercise?
The Australian Government recommends we should be doing around 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity, or 75 - 150 minutes of vigorous activity each week. It's also advised 2 days of the week we should be doing some strength training.
Moderate intensity physical activity: Get your large muscle groups moving through exercises such as walking, cycling, gardening, swimming, social tennis and dancing.
Vigorous intensity physical activity: These activities make it harder to talk when doing it. You may find you are puffing and panting when you do these types of activities. It may include aerobics, jogging and many competitive sports.
In addition to exercise, food and nutrition can help us to handle difficult situations. Some people find it difficult to navigate the nutrition space.
2. Balance / Harmony in Work and Life
As a leader in your business it can be difficult to maintain a balance between work and personal life. Yes, it can be challenging!
If you are physically exhausted, feeling overloaded or extended, it's going to be much harder to show resilience. If this is you, then you may like to overcome these challenges by setting yourself some goals to overcome these challenges.
For the 1 in 5 women where goal setting works, this is great, however, if you are one of the 4 out of 5 women who it doesn't work for, then get in touch with me and book in a Consultation. We'll discover what's blocking you and put in a plan to bust the stuff that's in your way from achieving balance and harmony.
3. Develop Strong Social Connections
When you have a supportive network of people around you, the atmosphere is caring and supportive. This can act as a protective factor during times of need. Be sure you have someone you can confide in and download some of the challenges causing you grief at work. While simply talking about a situation with a friend or colleague will not make the troubles go away, it allows you to share feelings, gain support, receive positive feedback, and come up with possible solutions to challenges.
4. Be Aware of Symptoms of Stress
Everyone reacts to stress in different ways. If you are anything like me, and you're going through challenges, your sleep will suffer. Poor sleep is one indicator of stress. However, there are many other symptoms.
Do you have trouble concentrating, have headaches, stomach aches, neck, shoulder, or back pain? Perhaps you have heart palpitations, lack energy and are easily angered or frustrated at others?
Be aware of the sources of stress in your personal and work life (and the symptoms!). Let go of the feelings of anger and frustration, pressure and tension. Try practicing meditation, deep breathing or go out in the fresh air and walk for some in-the-moment strategies. If the feelings keep coming up, then it's a sign you may have limiting beliefs and chronic emotions which have been embedded into your system. We can get rid of those, don't worry!
5. Solutions Focussed
During times of challenges and problems it's easy to focus on everything that's not working. In fact, I see this on social media quite a lot. The "woe is me" facebook posts rear their heads. People focus on sharing their failures and life's disasters in the attempt to get everyone to feel sorry for them. Sure, crap happens sometimes, but posting it on social media isn't going to solve your problems!
Be opportunistic and solutions focused!
Make a habit of being a solutions focused leader. Take note of all the opportunities coming your way and act on them. If you continue to practice this positive habit when times are good, it's more likely you'll also react more positively to challenges when they come your way. We must be able to deal with uncertainty and react positively to change in order for our own teams to show resilience.
Do you know of someone who finds it difficult to be resilient in times of change? Share this article with them so they can prepare themselves and positively affect those around them.
How are you preparing yourself for those hard, tough and challenging times? Tell me your ideas!