'Hang onto your hat, hang onto your hope and wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day' E.B. White

According to the Oxford English Dictionary resilience is the ability of people or things to recover quickly after something unpleasant, such as shock, injury, etc. Resilience exists when the person is able to remain calm during crises and to mentally or emotionally cope with the crisis without long-term negative consequences.   

Resilience is undoubtedly important for all of us navigating stressful jobs, a hectic home life and dealing with the unprecedented uncertainty that has been created by the Pandemic. Like most people I have read and heard so much about resilience recently and I have been discussing with friends and colleagues how the various lockdowns have affected them and their teams in the virtual workplace. 

The pace of business is ferocious and the rate of change is ever accelerating. The winter national lockdown has demanded a new type of resilience. Resilience alone isn’t enough anymore when the effects of the crisis are longer term. People are now having to dig deeper and to sustain effort over longer periods of time to keep up with the regular challenges at work and home, to keep going day in and day out, week in, week out, month in, month out…... 

During the endless days we’ve spent under the spectre of Covid many people have had times where they’ve experienced a loss of determination and energy. Whilst the first lockdown was filled with virtual happy hours, quizzes and sunshine this time round it often feels like the whole world is exhausted and resigned.

Regardless of the fact we now have hope and the vaccine shines a comforting light at the end of the tunnel, the home stretch still feels an awfully long way off. Managing your own mind and deciding to take charge of your destiny (and helping others do the same) is where you find the mental strength for the last mile.

Endurance is the ability of a person to exert themself and remain active for a long period of time, as well as their ability to resist, withstand, recover from, and have immunity to trauma, wounds, or fatigue. Like resilience it takes time and effort to create and maintain. Athletes can achieve great things based on their physical ability, but what separates the elite from the rest is that they know how to use their minds to become the best in their field. No one gains endurance overnight, it’s a skill and like all skills it takes time, focus and practice.

Resilience and endurance are what keeps us going. Some people seem able to cope better than others that’s for sure. What happens if resilience starts to fade within your teams? Both resilience and endurance can be enhanced by using coping skills like meditation, exercise and self-care practices.

Here are some other practical suggestions on how to build and maintain resilience:

·        When dealing with disappointment or uncertainty look for opportunities for reflection in order to gain insight and understanding of your abilities, character, and feelings

·        Don’t let your phone be the first and last thing you look at each day

·        Be thankful for something each day and practice random acts of kindness whenever you can

·        Connect with other people and ask them if they are ok. When they answer listen, really listen to their response

·        Be physically active and learn new skills, find your passion and set goals for the future and move towards them with self confidence

·        Accept circumstances that cannot be changed and take decisive actions in adverse situations

·        Always maintain a hopeful outlook, expect good things to happen rather than focusing on the negative. If a bad thing happens reframe them to focus on the positive.

Resilience is the most fundamental quality for navigating through chaos.  But people also need to be nurtured much more than they ever did pre pandemic. Our work colleagues may be out of sight whilst working from home but we need to be in their minds each day providing valuable feedback and personal contributions need to be applauded louder than ever. People need much more reassurance and praise than ever before. Taking time to look into the eyes of the people that we work with and help them to believe that they have the ability and the strength to overcome obstacles and perform involves a constant balancing act but has never been more important as we reinvigorate our teams for a resilient and sustainable future.