Building resilience helps in getting through tougher times and leading better

There is a reason airline safety messages say “grab your own oxygen mask first,” because you cannot support others without it. The same is true when it comes to leading in challenging times. Strengthening your own level of resilience helps you to lead more effectively and compassionately.

Tough times demand a great deal from us all. Being resilient does not mean that you won't experience difficulty or distress. No one is immune to stress. Resilience is all about our ability to respond to challenges, bounce back from adversity and learn from the experience and grow.

Building resilience is like a muscle, it can be strengthened. Resilience is not a personality trait, it involves behaviours, thoughts, mindsets, and actions that anyone can develop.

Supporting others to change the way they think, the way they analyse and evaluate things and the way they react can be important steps to supporting good mental health and resilience.

Resilience also has a physical, emotional, and social component. Prioritising your health, getting good sleep, being active, eating healthy are as important as being self-aware, and understanding and managing your emotions.

So, how can you build resilience for future times of challenge?

Harvard Business Review outlines 5 ways to build resilience at work and avoid getting bogged down by daily stresses.

Engaging in certain habits can also help strengthen our resilience for the future:

• practice mindfulness and being present
• engage in active communication with those you trust to discuss the ups and downs of life and confronting problems rather than escaping them
• cultivate hobbies and explore your passions, commit to devoting quality time to doing the things that bring you joy
• let go of perfection and failing forward
• focus on what you can control
• maintain a positive outlook by engaging in positive emotions (like hope, curiosity, gratitude, and joy)
• manage work boundaries by mono-tasking, taking breaks and ensuring you disconnect from work, taking care of yourself allows you to re-energise
• dedicate time to making and maintaining social connections.

Find out more about health, safety and wellbeing in the Queensland public sector.

Last updated:

1 July 2022