When Simone Biles made her withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics, this caused a variety of reactions from people around the world. Some accused her of “quitting”, while others applauded her courage.
Simone’s decision to put her own health and wellbeing first by withdrawing, is one that has demonstrated to the world the extent of her strength and resilience. In recognising her need to focus on her mental health, she’s able to step back and work on what she needs to – putting herself in the position to return stronger than she would be if she was to have just pushed through instead.
So what is resilience, exactly?
Resilience helps us cope with the challenges, pressures, and stresses we face in life. It’s about having the ability to bounce back and recover quickly from tough times.
Resilience is largely about maintaining a positive mindset in the face of adversity or difficulty. So it becomes key for us to focus on positive thinking, to give us the best shot at overcoming these difficulties and getting back on track.
What is the effect of resilience in the workplace?
With the stress of a post-COVID world, lockdowns and border closures, working from home, and uncertainty around job security, resilient people will be able to adapt and respond better than others. That stress can affect your employee’s personal wellbeing as well as having a direct impact on their productivity at work.
The good news is that resilience isn’t something you’re either born with or not, but rather it is a skill that you can learn to master over time, and therefore something you can foster within your team to better enable them for when things do get a bit rocky.
How can you build resilience in your team?
Our consultants at Strategy Collective are able to work with you and your team, giving you the tools to build resilience. We can coordinate workshops with your team, or work with you to develop a wellbeing initiative in your overall People & Culture Strategy.
Below are a few key points you can focus on in order to build resilience either for yourself, or for you to encourage your team in order to help them build resilience too.
- Focus on the positives! Try to look for the silver lining in the situation. Remember that everyone goes through difficulties in life – it’s par for the course. But know that things will get better.
- Let go of your fears. Instead of avoiding the situation altogether, change your thinking and see it instead as a challenge for you to overcome. Once you’re through the other side, you’ll be able to look back with a sense of achievement and set yourself up to tackle the next challenge too!
- Build a support system – there’s no need to go it alone. Surround yourself with a great group of people that you can lean on for support when you need it, and in return make yourself available for your team to lean on as well.
Get in touch with our People & Culture consultants to have a friendly chat about building resilience in your workplace and in your team.