RESILIENCE is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties or change, adapting in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy or threats. It’s an important word to keep hold of. Jules Murray explains.
So how are you coping during Covid-19 and what are you doing to build your resilience to this unprecedented interruption to ‘business as usual’?
In times like this I tend to seek stories of hope and unwavering courage which demonstrate the power of the human mind and the unassailable advantage of positive thinking. Remember the ‘San Jose Copper and Gold Mine’ which collapsed in August 2010 trapping 33 men, 2300 feet under- ground. They had enough food for two men for 10 days. They were trapped for 17 days before anyone broke through to them. Within 53 days they had a narrow pathway to receive food and medicine and to extract the men one by one in a capsule. Everyone worked together to support one another. They shared ideas, they experimented they failed, and they tried other ideas. They were humble in the face of the challenge. They had curiosity and humility and they were willing to explore diverse opportunities in order to learn fast!
So, are you, like me, now thinking how selfish people are to stock-pile food in order to leave others without, and carrying on their social outings and activities ignorant to the possibility that they are spreading the virus and prolonging this world crisis?
I have made an attempt to diversify into on-line training and coaching in order to adapt to the current environment – it may be successful, it may not, but knowing that I am experimenting and reaching out to help others is one way in which I am building my resilience to change. What steps have you taken so far and how is your blue-sky, out-of-the-box thinking supporting your business? Here are my six steps to building personal resilience:
1. Sense of Purpose
Ensure that you get up with a sense of purpose every day and continue to re-define your purpose as you move through life. The stronger your sense of purpose, the better equipped you are to handle challenges and setbacks and to recover from them.
2. Positive Mental Attitude
Look for a positive aspect in every situation. Listen to your favourite music, read books with a positive message, maintain a sense of hope and happiness in all activities.
3. Connect with Others
People matter to all of us, so building supportive and caring relationships is essential. Your interpersonal communication and skills can be an important element of your ability to be resilient, based on how you can handle difficult situations or times. It is also essential to be able to offer appropriate help and sup- port to others and ask for it, when needed.
4. Determination
Getting things done, making things happen and con- stantly looking for better ways of doing things. Use this time to work through your brand and operational standards and consider if there is a better way to achieve your end goals. You are 50% more likely to achieve your Sense of Purpose if you write things down… it will focus your determination.
5. Taking Control
You are the creator of all those thoughts and images that swirl around in your mind, leading you to feel a flurry of emotions. Just as you create internal experiences that result in feelings of fear or anxiety, so can you begin to assign new meanings and interpretations to events. Your thoughts create your emotions which impact upon your behaviour and perfor- mance – Take control of your thoughts!
6. Looking After Yourself
Looking after yourself both physically, mentally and emotionally, is essential in order to deal with stress, which has a big impact on your resilience. Do you lead a healthy lifestyle? Do you have strategies and tools to help you deal instantly with difficult or stressful situations? Are you able to relax your body and mind so that you can see problems or difficult scenarios in a calm and clear way? Make sure you learn some simple techniques to help you do this.
I hope you will use one or two of my suggested steps to build your personal resilience to this unprecedented situation in which we find our- selves. Reach out to others CMAE – call me, stay safe and use this time well to personally develop yourself and plan for the future.
Article published in Clubhouse Europe issue 19
