Resilience. A key foundation to thrive during Covid-19

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Right now, our resilience is being tested. With increased uncertainty, massive disruption to our day to day lives and the threat to our physical, mental and economic health, focusing in on building resilience has never been so important.

Resilience is a prerequisite for surviving the fast paced and demanding work and home environments we are currently experiencing. Having resilience creates a secure foundation to managing in this constantly changing and unfamiliar world. 

During periods of pressure, stress and change, people with lower levels of resilience tend to become disengaged, unproductive and struggle with low self-esteem.  They are more prone to illness and emotional distress.

Like so many professionals I’ve spoken with recently, my guess is that although you are working from home right now, your workload has increased and you’re expected to deliver with even greater productivity and effectiveness than ever.

And given that having a super strong immune system is critically important to minimise the chance of becoming a statistic in this pandemic, building resilience must be high on our agenda.

The good news is – it’s absolutely possible to super–charge your resilience and learn to cope, thrive and flourish in the face of adversity. 

And it all starts with managing your thought patterns, shifting your response to what life throws at you and building a few specific skills to bolster your coping mechanisms.

So if you want to boost your own inherent resilience to maximise your ability to thrive though this time, here’s what I would suggest.

5 Keys to building resilience during Covid-19:

1.  Accept change and uncertainty.

Resisting is fruitless and tiring. There is much of this experience that is outside of our control and uncertainty is here to stay for a while longer yet.  Focus on what you can control and let go of the rest.

2.  Avoid making a drama out of this situation. 

Choose not to get caught up in the doom and gloom. It will only make matters worse. The events of your life are not what shape you. It is how you choose to respond that has the biggest impact.    Be intentional about choosing how you respond to the disruption, change and uncertainty in your life and work right now.

3.  Choose optimism and take positive action. 

Choose to focus on what is going well rather than the challenges and setbacks. Choose to focus on the opportunities that are being made available to you as a result of this situation.

4.  Look at the bigger picture.  

Ask yourself – “how do you want things to be in one year from today,” and begin laying the foundations now for that reality to come to fruition. Staying focused on the bigger picture will help you avoid dwelling on the events of today that you cannot influence.

5.  Prioritise your health and wellbeing.

There has never been a more important time to focus on your health.   When you are tired and run down, your immune system becomes compromised. Taking care of YOU is the foundation to building your resilience and your ability to handle whatever comes your way.

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