Building Resilience
We live in a fast-paced and rapidly changing world, where strength in the face of adversity is one of the most important
skills you can have. We deal with many difficult events, such as the loss of a loved one, changing jobs or loss of a job,
financial pressure and health concerns for ourselves or those close to us. We can be extremely challenged during times of
major disasters such as fires, floods or earthquakes. Despite the changing situations that we deal with, most people
generally adapt well over time, and one of the key factors that help us to adapt is resilience.
Resilience is generally defined as the positive capacity of a person to cope effectively with adverse situations. This may
relate to a capacity to quickly recover or bounce back from situations or a capacity to continue to function well during times
of significant difficulty.
It is generally agreed that resilience is not so much a matter of individual traits or personality, but is a process. It occurs
when people experience adversity or risk in their environments.
Resilience can help when people are in potentially stressful situations at work or at home. Understanding that resilience is a
process means that anyone can build their capacity to be more resilient, and as a result, thrive in situations where they may
otherwise not do so well.
Building resilience generally involves four key areas:
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Having a sense of purpose and meaning in what you do (as well as the capacity to make realistic plans and carry them
out)
2.
Having the right mindset (sometimes called “mental toughness”) to deal with the daily changes we face, including
having confidence in yourself and your abilities
3.
Having the ability to manage strong feelings and emotions, including being able to channel and use your emotional
energy positively
4.
Having a degree of physical endurance – being fit enough to deal with the challenges we face including sufficient sleep,
good nutrition and regular exercise
The approach to building resilience is a personal one. We do not all react the same way to stressful and challenging events,
and a strategy that will work for one person may not work for another. Elements such as the culture or background of a
person, the communication and problem-solving skills they have, the number and strength of relationships they have and
the support they have in the workplace will all play a part.
Life is a hard teacher – it sends us the test first and the lesson afterward. Resilience is not something to work on after a
challenge has been presented. Build your skills by improving your resilience through the good times. A few ways of doing
this are:
► Nurture the relationships you have – a primary factor in resilience is having caring, supportive relationships within and
outside your family
► Build relationships that create trust and offer encouragement and assurance to help bolster a person’s resilience. This
can be at work and at home
► Share your thoughts and emotions with those close to you. This will make it much more natural to share your feelings
when you are under pressure. Managing your emotions on your own can be a very lonely place
► Be responsible for your emotional responses – being aggressive or angry when you are stressed won’t improve the
situation
► When something concerns you, seek solutions instead of allocating blame or complaining.
► Look for new experiences and expand your network – at work and socially
Building your resilience is an ongoing process that will take time and effort. Some of the following strategies will assist you
on your journey:
► Build and maintain relationships – good relationships with close family members, friends, colleagues and other support
people are important
► Accept help and support from those around you – and assist others where you can
► Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems – you can’t change the fact that highly stressful events happen, but
you can change how you interpret and respond to them
► Accept that change in life is inevitable – define what you can and can’t change and work with that
► During times of major challenge, minimise your media exposure – media exposure to events can be overwhelming and
addictive and is detracting from your ability to cope rather than assisting
► Develop and work towards your goals – ask yourself ‘what is one thing I know I can accomplish today that helps me
move in the direction I want to go?’
► Take decisive action – act on adverse situations as much as you can rather than detaching completely from problems
and stresses, wishing they would go away
► Look for opportunities for new learning and growth – people often learn something about themselves and may find
that they have grown in some respect as a result of the struggle with loss
► Nurture a positive view of yourself – build your confidence in yourself to manage situations and solve problems
► Keep things in perspective – even when facing very painful events, try to consider the stressful situation in a broader
context and keep a long-term perspective
► Look to the future – imagine telling someone about how you overcame this obstacle with strength, grace and courage
► Maintain a positive outlook – an optimistic outlook helps you to expect that good things will happen in your life
► Self-care is important – pay attention to your own needs and feelings and engage in activities that you enjoy and find
relaxing
► Look after yourself physically – sleep, nutrition and exercise are important
► Find out what works for you – this is the key to developing your own personal strategy for building and fostering
resilience!
 Your EAP is here to help
Remember the EAP offers support through confidential face-to-face, telephone, video and online counselling for individuals,
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and coaching and advice for managers. For support, advice or to make an appointment, just call your EAP provider,
Davidson Trahaire Corpsych (DTC), on 1300 360 364.
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