feature Resiliency in the Workplace: How to
Bounce Back When Work Gets You Down Kristine Campbell, MS, LPC, NCC, CBC, Oshkosh
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When I was offered the opportunity to write this article about resiliency in the workplace, I readily accepted despite my busy schedule and frequent thoughts of “I don’t have enough time!” As I reflect on why I instantly found the idea so appeal- ing despite the obvious sacrifices, I can honestly say that it’s because it’s a topic that I am passionate about. Why is this topic so important for me, for you, for our friends, our neighbors and even our kids? I believe it’s because our life is valuable and we each deserve to be able to enjoy and find meaning in as much of it as possible; to feel fulfilled and satisfied, that whatever the course our life takes, that we feel that we’re doing our best with it.
There are many ways to improve our re- siliency at work, but I’d like to focus on some key areas for your consideration to serve as a guide to the many opportunities for resiliency within each one. These keys are: identifying your power, knowing your limits, learning to let go, taking breaks to replenish, cultivating positive relation- ships and remembering your values. What I mean by identifying your power is think- ing about what it is you have control over. The quick answer here is YOU! Even in difficult circumstances, we have choices. We can simply decide whether we will do nothing or do something, and if some-
thing, what that something may be. We can get trapped in negativity and neglect this choice but that’s what contributes to our feeling of powerlessness in our lives and resentment towards those who we feel are trapping us. The choices we have, and the actions associated with implementing them, can certainly be difficult but not recognizing these options makes it hard to see how these problematic situations could be improved other than to wait for the situation to be changed by someone else which many times is unlikely and leaves us feeling stuck.
The key of understanding our limits relates closely to identifying our power in that we need to be clear that not everything that happens to us is within our power. We don’t control the thoughts, feelings and behaviors of others, no matter how influential we may be. However, in addi- tion to these important limits of control and therefore responsibility, it’s important for us also to keep in mind the limits we have in terms of time, energy, finances, priorities, etc. Sometimes we get in trouble at work when we don’t consider that most of our resources are limited. If we take on too many tasks, or try to perform them to a level that is unrealistic given our limits, we can feel stressed out, disappointed and unproductive. Sometimes we overcommit
ourselves because we have a hard time prioritizing, planning ahead or saying “no” to requests; however not addressing these problems only further hurts us and those we’re trying to help. Because of these limits, it’s easier to see why we need to be able to let some things go. Those things may be unresolved conflicts that continue to nag at us, worries about the future, of- fenses done to us or mistakes we made that we cannot change and are simply getting in our way. Try to forgive others and try to forgive yourself, better. Take breaks to nurture and replenish your energy by doing things you enjoy, even if it means going outside for your lunch to get some fresh air and sunshine, call a friend, listen to music or savor your food while you focus on relaxing. Since we have limits to our energy, it makes sense that we need to replenish frequently throughout the day to have more energy to expend. It’s amazing how much better you can feel and how much better you can do by giving yourself breaks to enjoy your life.
In a recent book I’ve read, The Blue Zones Solution, by Dan Buettner, regarding the research of the “Blue Zones,” areas of the world where there are a larger percentage of individuals who are living over the age of 100, many of these individuals are not only living but functioning better than many of their younger-aged peers in other areas of the world – some still working, chopping wood, making new friends, tending their gardens and caring for oth- ers. What they have found is that there are many practices in their culture that support their healthy lifestyle whether it be what they eat, how often they socialize, partici- pate in a faith community, tend a garden or walk to where they need to go, just to name a few. The researchers of these pockets of centenarians implemented some of their findings in some areas of the United States to see if they could improve the health of these communities. With many members of the community committed to using the
30 January 2017
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