Building Resilience and Wellbeing
Over the past two years we have seen our resilience and wellbeing tested with the on-going uncertainty and stress surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to navigate our way through lockdowns, border closures, working from home, and uncertainty around job security.
What exactly is resilience?
Resilience is about being able to adapt well (mostly positively and strongly) in the face of significant or unexpected stress, but not always bouncing back.
Resilience won't make your problems go away, but resilience can give you the ability to see past them, find enjoyment in life and better handle stress. If you aren't as resilient as you'd like to be, you can certainly develop skills to become more resilient. Everyone can do this.
How can you develop your resilience?
This is where resilience meets wellbeing. How? Well, one way to build your resilience is through engaging in activities that boost your wellbeing, because the more you do this the more resilient you become. Conversely, when you’re super busy, if you let go of your wellbeing routines, then it’s likely you become less resilient in the face of adversity.
There are numerous wellbeing tools and strategies from which you can choose and integrate into your life, whether that be at work or in your personal life, to build your resilience and maintain your wellbeing. One of my personal favourites is the Circle of Control and Influence model:
The things outside of our control sit on the outside, and the things we can control sit on the inside.
What can we do to help ourselves operate from our circle of control?
- Focus on what is in your personal control.
- Spend time and energy on the situations over which you have influence, rather than situations that are outside of your control.
- Ask yourself, “what can I control in this moment?”
The more we live from our circle of influence, the more we build our resilience, and the more control we have over our lives.
How can I build my team’s resilience and wellbeing?
Having an intentional focus on health and wellbeing as a core pillar of your Employee Proposition Value will help your team, with initiatives such as:
- flexible working arrangements
- annual health and wellness workshops
- financial contributions towards fitness initiatives
- health insurance cover
- life and trauma insurance
- first aid and mental health wellbeing training
- EAP services
In addition to this, you could look to create an environment long term whereby wellbeing practices are encouraged and rewarded for all employees; furthermore where they are encouraged to be proactive and take responsibility for their holistic health and wellbeing, with the mutual support of your organisation. Get your teams involved, workshop and brainstorm ideas and initiatives that are important to you all and that you all want to take part in.
Authored by Charlotte McIsaac, facilitator and coach.
If you’d like to talk further about ways we can help with supporting you or your team with building resilience, contact Nicky or Kyran - 03 943 2373 or info@odi.org.nz