Developing a plan to get through potentially stressful situations can have a positive impact on both your personal and work life. Understanding how other people deal with stress can also improve your ability to be objective about how their actions may impact you. If we recognize that we all respond to stressors in our own way, we can also recognize that behaviours of another person which may seem inappropriate or problematic could be that individual’s own struggle to deal with stress or adversity. Having a high level of resilience does not mean you will avoid stress. It means you will be able to adapt to it and recover more effectively from it. Many of us juggle personal, family, social, financial, and work demands. While we try to manage, any of us could be blindsided by an unexpected situation or overwhelmed when too many stressors happen at once. Stress is a fact of life. Stress is not always bad or the result of a negative situation. In fact, stress can help motivate us to develop positive coping strategies or find effective solutions to problems. Stress can be a positive force in our lives but too much can have the opposite effect. We do not always get to choose the situations we find ourselves in, but we usually get to choose how we respond in the long run. Recognizing our automatic, immediate, unplanned responses to stress and committing to building our own resilience will support our overall success and well-being.

RESILIENCE IS THE CAPACITY TO ADAPT OR RECOVER IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• Failure

• Loss

• Trauma

• Relationship or family problems

• Tragedy

• Financial problems

• Threats

• Health problems

• Harassment

• Workplace issues

From surviving, which may include…

To thriving, which may include..

Being stressed

Recognizing your automatic responses to stress

Reacting in unhealthy ways to stressors

Choosing healthier responses

Denying or ignoring stressors

Recognizing and exploring your stressors

Isolation or one-sided relationships

Balancing your support network – those you help and those who provide help to you

Doing what you have always done even if it’s not working

Examining your options and making good decisions

Continually battling your personal weaknesses

Identifying and using your strengths

Resisting or feeling unable to make positive change

Committing to growing, learning, and thriving

Waiting until a crisis to find help

Ensuring that you are aware of potential resources

 

When you consider your Automatic Responses to Stress, you are more empowered to then Choose Healthier Strategies. When you Recognize and Explore Your Stressors you can more easily see how to best Balance Your Support Network and Examine Your Options and Make Decisions. By Identifying and Using Your Strengths you are maximizing your ability to Commit to Thriving. It’s also important to Be Aware of Potential Resources. Some of the strategies shared with you will include brainstorming options to address challenges, taking action even when you feel overwhelmed by fear or worry, learning from your mistakes rather than being unfairly critical of yourself, and building a network of support.

Some of the strategies shared with you will include brainstorming options to address challenges, taking action even when you feel overwhelmed by fear or worry, learning from your mistakes rather than being unfairly critical of yourself, and building a network of support.

Resilience may not ensure that you avoid stressful situations but can help make it easier to get through them. You may be better able to anticipate and prepare for many types of situations. Your stressors and responses often change from year to year, so we encourage you to revisit this regularly or when your circumstances change.

Source: https://www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com/