What are the best ways to build resilience in high-stress professions?

Learn to say “No”. The word “no” does not mean that you or the other person is bad or wrong. No means that you refuse the offer, bid, request, or contract! It means No for your reasons. This is the manner in which human beings establish boundaries and demonstrate respect for themselves. No may mean that you have other obligations, priorities, plans, competing expectations, limited time, ultimately that you don’t value the the requested commitment more than another! It is important to note that you are not required to give equals or subordinates a rationale for saying no and this is true of those in superior or authoritative positions, as long as you are not already agreed to say “yes”. Being able to comfortably say no, lowers stress.

There will always be more on the to do list, yet when our plates are full taking care of our basic needs is what often gets de-prioritized. I always encourage my clients to get more comfortable with the discomfort of walking away without getting absolutely everything done. It's not sustainable. I also encourage them to flip the script and think about breaks as being productive (because the science says they are!). Micro-moments of self-care can feel much more attainable when we're feeling overwhelmed: Examples include a 5-minute walk around the office building, 2 stretches away from your desk between calls, bookending your day with some deep breathing before you open your computer and when you close it. Small actions, big impact.

One way to build resilience in high stress professions, is having a culture of focusing on what you did really well. Look for the things no matter how small, that you nailed and breathe into that feeling. Breathe with the sensation of having done a good job. This is very calming and soothing for the nervous system and fantastic at building confidence and resilience.

How often do you 'find the time' to exercise, sleep enough, relax and recharge? How stressed professionals rarely have time to do anything so adding in an addition to a busy schedule does not work. You need to replace one thing / habit with a more conducive one that serves you better. For example. Replace your winding down TV or reading time with mediation or breathwork and then fall directly to sleep. Enhances your deep, recuperating sleep as well.

High stress professions can create their own trauma, so speaking up is paramount. Don't feel like you are not allowed to ask for help - you not only can, but you must. This is not weakness - it is wisdom. Also, a deep awareness of your health, your mindset, your shortcomings and your skills will allow you to read your mind, body and spirit to make choices for your benefit. Especially times of quiet - sit in the sun - curl up with a cup of tea and a furry animal - light a scented candle and just BE. Your psyche needs calm. And I deeply suggest that you need support - someone to give you ideas - to mentor you to wellness - to listen without judgement. None of us gets through Hard Stuff alone....

One of the biggest barriers I see in building resilience is the resistance to getting help from others. Seeking support before you need it is key to helping prevent burnout or crisis. EAPs, helplines, counselling, coaches, mental health first aiders, managers, colleagues, friends, etc are all great resources to support someone stressed at work. The true hurdle however, is that often people need prior help or encouragement to take that first step. Companies can help with this by building supportive cultures, providing training and continued awareness on resources.

I have found that family, friends, colleagues often will not understand your situation and may provide ill fitting advice when all you need to a confidant. It can be a very lonely place where you do not know who to speak to in confidence and openly. This is where a paid coach or skilled councillor comes in.

Ask for help especially when you anticipate that you will need it. The sooner you can communicate with others that you will need support, the better. Participate in local community organizations that catch your interest. You never know who you’re going to meet and how deeply you’ll feel connected to them. If you’re nervous about attending alone, bring someone with you. More often than not everyone there is looking to connect with like-minded people.

We definitely need to create more joy in life to help build resilience. Asking for help can feel like failing for some people. This is down to conditioning from what we have learnt from our family, peers and society. A change in mindset is crucial in helping overcome these feelings.

Effective Communication: Develop strong communication skills for better stress management. This includes clearly expressing your needs and concerns, listening actively to others, and seeking help when needed. Effective communication reduces misunderstandings, fosters a supportive work environment, and helps manage difficult situations more smoothly.

Growth mindset cultivates the belief that nothing is set in stone. It puts the ball in your court and gives you the power, freedom and confidence to experience things differently moving forward. Hence, growth mindset fosters resilience, enhances your perspective and elevates your performance at work.

Be aware of the potential that lies inside of you. You have the capacity to renew yourself at every moment. Cultivate the beliefs of enduring difficult times, and take charge of whatever challenges life throws at you, those are there for you to break your limiting chains.

Prayer, Belief in God and being able to drop off things that you are carrying, worrying about things that you have absolutely no power or means to change. Put it in God's hands, pray about it and drive on. Fresh.

One way that has been very powerful in building growth mindset is by deeply shifting my identity, who I see myself as. Visualization of victory in a morning breathwork session is incredibly powerful for this.

Developing a growth mindset will also help change your thinking patterns - and develop an optimistic mindset too. Optimism is a key feature of resilience and has been proven to reduce stress. It enables you to think of positive aspects of life, even at the most troubling of times. It's a skill that can be developed and helped me enormously in trying to deal with 3 heart attacks and other serious stressful events.

It's a song of gratitude for all the wonderful things in the world, a satisfying mix of appreciation for the little things that can get us by. If you want to fill your soul with love and gratitude for the world around you, this is the song for you. I see skies of blue, clouds of white, The bright blessed day and the dark sacred night, And I think to myself, what a wonderful world, The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky. Are also on the faces of the people passing by I see friends shaking hands, saying, how do you do?" What they're really saying is "I love you." 'A Wonderful World' by Louis Armstrong.... So, what would you be grateful for? Is it a good friend, a loving partner, or the good things happening in your life?

Practice contentment! Detach your happiness from things, people and situations. The desire of the mind is infinite, when it has achieve something it’s ready for something else. Recognise this pattern and as you are training your body, train your mind to be content with what is.

Our minds are biologically wired to watch for danger, protect us and keep us alive more than to be grateful. So when our minds are alert to problems, concerns, and fears in life it is doing exactly what it was created to do. Yay, for that!!! In order to feel the good feelings that go along with gratitude we have to set a conscious intention and practice doing so. I am amazed how many things people find to be grateful for when they start to think about it. Remember the the things taken for granted like; health of ourselves and family, warmth, shelter, food and clothes. Celebrate the small wins you have had, how much you have grown in your career, the family moments, nature, your pets. Be mindful, make a mental note and/or journal.

Reflection, Solitude and Gratitude for what is most helpful! I am grateful for my family and the very few friends I do have that check in when they can and are able. Resilience is my middle name. I have always come back better than before.... I have to escape into my own world , dance , listen to my favorite music and dine on some smoked salmon, dark chocolate, and superfoods... ride a bike and most importantly Pray and center my Spiritual life. I have never been a bar hopper or larger crowd seeker. Small intimate gatherings and one on one ... that is all I desire. Love a local tea spot or book store. Beach time and alone time. Most essential.

Learn the importance of perspective. This will enable you to understand that not everything you do is uber-critical. Having perspective will help you to prioritise as you learn to look at the long term rather than putting yourself under continuous pressure to meet short-term deadlines

1. Therapy is for everyone. 2. Trust your gut with your therapist... If they aren't a great fit, you are better off trying to find one for you. 3. Therapy is for everyone.

100% and most often the most impactful way to build resilience. Personally, I use breathwork for this for so many reasons that I could not explain in this short article.

With the help of a life coach, I’ve been able to reframe my mindset and identify ways to see solutions to every obstacle that comes my way. When you feel challenged, it helps to remind yourself that you are not alone. Give yourself space to take a step back and view the bigger picture at hand. If you feel overwhelmed by the bigger picture, focus on what you can do in the short term to lighten the burden of your stress and potentially the stress of others around you. I highly recommend revisiting the bigger picture when you are ready to tackle it.

Create a work life that fits your values. Don’t assume that you’re stuck in your current position or that your career must look a certain way. If family time or time alone is important to you, choose a position that is conducive to the lifestyle that “fills your cup.”

The key to building “piggy banks” of resilience we can draw from during unpredictable high-stress moments = taking small steps daily to fill our reserve, e.g.: 1) Train your mind to respond calmly to stimuli (e.g., deep breathing) to remind yourself that you are safe in your body 2) Expand your emotional capacity by observing, feeling, and responding to emotions, instead of bottling them up and numbing them 3) Recognize what is in vs. out of your control — Identify a moment of “unproductive control” (e.g., getting frustrated when being stuck in traffic) and let go of your grasp on it. Subsequently, when a high stress situation arises at work, your mind will be better equipped to separate what is in vs. out of your control.

Resiliency is often defined with a sense of "bouncing back." Here's a breath of relief coming... You can't bounce "back." Whew! How spacious is it to realize you can't go back to the past? It's being present and identifying needs and desires and creating the Environments to support that. Resiliency is more about Response-ability. Draw your attention to what supports you to respond in a way that you're desiring. Our bodies are constantly assessing internally and externally to respond. So what kind of response would you like to experience? What can get you there?

If there is “high-stress” work environments, it is not only down to the individuals, also to the company to do everything they can to minimise the stress of the environment and increase the support people need so they don’t feel as stressed.

Focus on what you can control and make the best of what you can't control. You can control your own thoughts, perspective, behaviors, actions, and attitude. Giving power to things we have no control over is the cause of mental and emotional suffering.