8 ways to Building A Resilient You in the Workplace

By Barbara Rubel

office stress relief - control stress - stress managementThere are certain characteristics of resiliency that are based in simple principles. The eight qualities of the FABULOUS Principle are flexibility, attitude, boundaries, understanding, laughter, optimism, being united, and self-esteem. The objective of this principle is to help you to discover ways to cope with stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue in the workplace.

1: F is for Flexibility. Brain cells talk to each other. So, what are your brain cells talking about? What would they say about the way you think and control your thoughts while at work? Being that people can flexibly retrieve knowledge from their brains, they can change the way they think. They understand different problems and problem solve. Your mind is adaptable and flexible so it can learn and gain new knowledge. Rather than being rigid in your thinking, you have cognitive flexibility. Your thoughts can affect you physically and emotionally. The way you adapt to situations with your coworkers and supervisors depends upon your thoughts about that situation. Resilient individuals positively reframe negative thoughts to positive ones. This cognitive flexibility gives them the opportunity to shift their approach to dealing with problems in the workplace. Think about the way you think!

2: A is for Attitude. Visualize a clear mental picture of yourself with a positive attitude. You can adjust your perceptions about what happens to you. Look at problems at work as opportunities to grow. Know how to deal with those issues and with a positive attitude, get what you want and need. Stop spending time focusing on those things you did wrong in the past and those things you have no control over in the future. Improve your attitude now by focusing on the present. If you focus on the negative, it can have adverse effects on your attitude. When you have a negative thought it sets up a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you think of the worst possible outcome, that negative message will probably come to light. You mind is limitless. Fill it with positive thoughts and be upbeat in expressing your mindset. Employees who are resilient have certain beliefs that help them to act a certain way around their coworkers and supervisors. You are responsible for your attitude at work. It you want to find happy moments throughout your day, look for opportunities to show off your positive attitude. You will achieve the best possible outcome if you do so. Your positive outlook will help you to maintain boundaries with others.

3: B is for Boundaries. As a child I would swim at the Coney Island seashore. The boundaries were clearly in place although the surf’s edge was continually changing around me. I had a responsibility to keep myself safe by not swimming out too far. I could have easily been manipulated by the sea. I had to manage where I swam as I visualized an imaginary line in the waves that become a physical boundary to keep me safe. What this experience can teach you is that you should visualize the limits on those things that might harm you emotionally and physically and allow them to keep a border around your own life. First, visualize margins on a page or switches on a wall. If you visualize margins on a page, what would the page look like if the margins were not there? Margins are boundaries that border the words and without them, the page would look cluttered. Your personal margins will keep you healthy and happy. Next, visualize a small switch on a wall that you can regulate. You can adjust the switch throughout the day on how much stress you will allow into your space. This button keeps you mindful that although interruptions and disruptions are expected at work, you control how to deal with them. The way you visualize your boundaries is uniquely your own. Create in your mind what you need to place limits on while at work and the upshot of each. Those restrictions will help you to understand what is most important to you.


4: U is for Understanding. Look at understanding as being kind, sympathetic, and tolerant or as it relates to your skills, ability to learn, and the knowledge that you have gained on the job. To build a better you, it is critical to understand those things that keep you healthy and happy such as self-assurance, personal development, increase your power of endurance, and see yourself as hardy.

5: L is for Laughter. Having a sense of humor is critical to coping. No matter how old you are or how terrible the situation, laughter can help you to get through. Laughter is a visual expression that when shared with those you work with can be contagious. The happier you are the healthier you are as it relaxes your body. It improves your mood which inevitably makes you more optimistic.

6: O is for Optimism. You probably heard of the common phrase about whether your glass is half empty or half full. If your glass is full, you see the bright side of things. You have more positive things going on in your life than those who are pessimistic because you are hopeful and enthusiastic. Optimistic employees don’t look at themselves as the cause when things go wrong. Of course, bad things happen. Being optimistic can keep you healthy as those who are optimistic don’t sweat the small stuff and enjoy good health because of it. Optimistic workers establish their priorities while focusing on the positive. Simply, optimists are realists that expect the best possible outcome at work. They realize that although bad things can happen, they hold onto hope that there is also a great deal of good in the world. They like working with people and are united with their coworkers, supervisors, and respect their company’s mission.

7: U is for United. When you feel overwhelmed, create an image in your mind of your own personal routing section-those people in your life that truly care about you. Reach out to coworkers, supervisors and your HR Department for support. Surround yourself with those who genuinely care about you. Create a strong support system that will help you to build resiliency in your life. Cultivate relationships with family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and your faith community. These relationships in the long run can help create a positive self-image and increases your self-esteem, which helps you do do your job well.

8: S is for Self-Esteem. When you consider self-esteem, the first words that might come to my mind are confidence, respect, and worth. To have a high self-esteem is to have assurance and a high opinion of oneself while valuing who you are in the world. When you identify the beliefs you have about yourself they are based on how you see yourself compared to others in your personal and professional life. Those with a high self-esteem know how to cope with their stress, talk positively, are hopeful and feel worthy of happiness. These principles can pave the way for you to build resiliency in your professional life.

Now that you have a FABULOUS way to build a resilient you in the workplace, share what you have learned with your coworkers.

To inquire as to how you can have Barbara Rubel speak at your organization, send an email to [mailto:griefwork@aol.com]griefwork@aol.com

Barbara Rubel, BS, MA, BCETS, CBC, Keynote speaker, author, But I Didn’t Say Goodbye, website http://www.griefworkcenter.com

Control Stress.net

 

 

Incoming search terms for the article:

Comments are closed.