There are some big scary words beginning with R making the rounds right now. The anxiety of the nation is currently at the will of the constantly fluctuating Covid-19 R number. And of course, the other scary R that’s likely to be around for some time yet… Redundancy. The result of businesses trying to survive in the wake of the pandemic is that many of us are going to feel like we are constantly looking down the barrel waiting for the R word to pounce.
There is another R word that can be equally as big and scary though. Not to us humans, but to the anxiety, worry and depression that facing the pandemic and the threat of redundancy can bring. And that word is Resilience.
Resilience is often talked about as our ability to bounce back from adversity. But what are we bouncing back to? We are living in an increasingly turbulent world where the rate of change is constantly increasing. Is it right that we focus on simply clawing ourselves back to where we were before? Maybe it’s more useful for us learn from what’s happening around us, reflect on what that means for us and our careers so we can develop skills to bounce forward. Perhaps to a new, different and exciting place.
So, what is resilience and how do we build it? There are lots of thoughts and research on the topic, but if you analyse what resilience is statistically, there are five quite separate strands to it. Let’s briefly explore what they are and some things you might like to think about if you want to work on building your own resilience:
1) Managing Stress and Anxiety – Learning how we can manage our own mental health and how we engage in self-care is key to managing the way we feel about things that we can’t control. It’s also difficult to be creative and remain optimistic if your mental wellbeing is low which is why this is a vital foundation to resilience.
2) Accountability – This is all about the sense that you can make a difference and that the actions you take matter. Being able to recognise the good in what you’ve done to take steps towards achieving your goals. Building accountability by having others to be accountable to also helps to ensure you take positive action.
3) Solution Focussed – When something bad happens, do you dwell on it and point the finger of blame? Or do you accept the situation as it is and start problem solving? When the first, second, tenth thing you’ve tried fails, do you throw the towel in and give up? Or do you learn from each attempt to hone and improve your approach?
4) Flexibility – This element of resilience is arguably more important now than ever before. Where entire industries are on their knees, thinking creatively about your skill set and experience and how it can be used differently in a way that brings you a fulfilling career might mean the difference between you finding a role somewhere you never would have dreamed looking and getting your fiftieth ‘Thanks but no thanks’ letter.
5) Optimism – This is a tough one. Some people are going through unimaginable hardships right now so I get that this one might be a tall order for some. However, even if you are able to muster a small amount of this, it can make the world of difference. If you find yourself with unexpected time off work, how can you make the most of it to work out how you can thrive because of this situation rather than just scrape by in spite of it. Have a ponder on the words of Marcus Aurelius “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”
Ok, so how can working on your resilience help you to rebuild your career? As we’ve said, the foundation is being able to effectively manage stress and anxiety. It’s very difficult to stand out from the crowd in job interviews if you’re not in a good place mentally. So, this is a good place to start. Check out our Mental Health Aware course if you’d like to make some progress in this area: https://stressmatters.org.uk/MHFA
The benefits of engaging in the other four strands to helping you land that next role or make that next career move are quite clear. If you become more flexible, you’ll be open to more options. If you stay optimistic, it will fuel your creativity in thinking how you can make the most of the situation you find yourself in. If you stay solution focussed, you’ll hone your problem solving skills to increase your chances of landing that next role. And if you build accountability into your goal setting, you’re far more likely to make positive steps towards that next career step.
Resilient people are full of creativity. Being openminded to possibilities and exploring opportunities without judgement may also help you to discover job vacancies that truly fit your values or uncover that your skills and experience can add significant value to an exciting start up overseas. Or perhaps you’ll start putting together a business plan for that side hustle that you’ve always dreamed of doing but things have always got in the way. Or you may simply be able to think more innovatively about the job role you are currently doing and love so as to defend it in an upcoming redundancy round.
Regardless of whether you have recently been made redundant, are worried that it might be coming or feel pretty secure in your career, building your resilience will have a positive impact on your wellbeing.
