Why emotional resilience is important in workplace

Kingsley works as an Accounts Manager in a top Finance firm. As his position in the Organisation grew, it came with more responsibilities and late nights. At some point Kingsley began to burn out and could not keep up with the organisation’s expectations. He would snap at the slightest provocation, began to emaciate, withdrew from his colleagues and his overall performance began to drop rapidly. He just could not keep up. This gradual change drew the attention and concern of his line manager, as he noticed that Kinsley’s overall performance was declining.

Things took a turn for the worst, when Kingsley suddenly passed out at the office. He was rushed to the hospital and after series of medical tests, the doctor informed his family that Kingsley’s heart palpitated wildly which led to an increase in his pulse rate and blood pressure. The major cause was Stress. The information got back to Kingsley’s employers and this resulted them looking inwards for anyone else showing the same signs that Kingsley had shown but this time, with a resolve to eliminate a recurrence among employees. The latest estimates from Labour Force Survey shows the total number of cases of workplace stress; depression or anxiety in 2016/17 was 526,000 cases, a prevalence rate of 1,610 per 100,000 workers.

Workplace stress or Occupational stress is fast becoming a global business challenge for both employers and employees. Some factors of workplace stress could be heavy workload, tight deadlines, long working hours, lack of motivation, no growth opportunities etc. In a bid to maintain Mental wellness in the workplace, Emotional Resilience seems inevitable.

What Is Emotional Resilience?
Emotional resilience can simply be defined as one’s ability to adapt to stressful situations or crises. Individuals with a higher degree of emotional resilience are able to handle the stress that comes with daily life more effectively and calmly. Less resilient people have a harder time with stress and life changes.

Why is it that some people thrive in the face of challenge and adversity at work, while others panic and withdraw into themselves? And why is it that some people appear to get ahead in life, while others get swallowed up in the different trails that are thrown at them? The answer is simple: Your response to what life throws at you has a lot to do with how emotionally resilient you are to external factors. A Vitality Health survey carried out revealed 26% of respondents cited financial concerns as a significant type of stress while 46% cited unrealistic tasks and time pressures as a significant type of stress.

An employee with a good emotional resilience is one that does not give in to the stress at work and bounces back from experiencing workplace difficulties. It’s a skill that needs to be practiced and incorporated into a healthy lifestyle and a healthy work style. Stress at the office is inevitable, it happens to everyone. Everyone needs to be properly equipped with emotional resilience skills.

Here are some ways to build Emotional Resilience:
1. Cultivate self-awareness. Take time to tune into your feelings and your body. Name your feelings. Notice when they come and why. Think about what’s helpful and what is unhelpful to you. Adopt what is helpful and look after yourself.
2. Notice your Warning Signs. Check for signs of vulnerability, sleeplessness, anxiety, hopelessness, joylessness, loss or gain in appetite, headaches or sickness, and then take steps to look after yourself.
3. Nurture a Positive view of Yourself: Developing confidence in your ability to solve problems and trusting your instincts help to build resiliency.
4. Practise Self-care: Identify what nourishes you internally. Make sure you are not running on empty or burning out. Inner wellbeing is nurtured by exercising, eating healthily, getting enough sleep, good company, receiving and giving help, fun, relaxation, having quiet time, and avoiding too much alcohol or stimulants.
5. Celebrate your successes: Take time at the end of each day to review what went well and congratulate yourself. This trains the mind to look for success rather than dwelling on negativity and ‘failure’.
6. Be Realistic: Do not shoot yourself in the foot. Take on goals and tasks you can achieve without risking a mental breakdown.
7. Forgive yourself: learn from that mistake and ensure you have learnt from it.

To conclude, Individuals going through some form of mental health issue, which is hindering their overall productivity, can seek professional help, by getting connected to a Life coach. A life coach is certified to help you rise above all odds. A life Coach is trained to guide you as you take a journey from where you are to where you desire to be. Get connected with a Certified Life Coach by simply downloading the Coach-Me online App from the play store on your mobile phone. For more enquires, kindly contact us on 08077077000 or send a mail to info@olcang.com