5 Tips to Resilience in The Face of Adversity

by Mar 31, 2020

Resilience is defined as the ability to bounce back after adversity. 

I figured we could all use some reminders on how to build up our resilience, so here are four key actions you absolutely must take if you intend to bounce back from the mess we’re all in. 

The 5-minute video is about building connections, finding purpose and making a plan, taking care of yourself, and using this opportunity to make some self-discoveries. 

I consider myself a little bit of an expert in resilience thanks to a near-death experience. All four of these tips definitely got me through it.

 

Here are Some Tips to Resilience in The Face of Adversity

Build connections.

Now more than ever you should be reaching out to your network. Have virtual happy hour with co-workers or friends, attend online networking groups, and get together with a mastermind group. 

I was so thankful for my mastermind meeting last week because I heard some things I really needed to hear. After explaining how I’ve been feeling about some lost opportunities, one person suggested that I grieve my old company vision so that I could replace it with a new vision. I so needed that advice! I’m purposefully taking time to grieve what could’ve been, but am also excitedly forming a new what could be.

Accepting change, by the way, is another action resilient people take.

Find purpose and build a plan

Resilient people get clear on what they need to do right now, so that they can create a plan and execute it. They plan, execute, plan, execute, and plan, execute themselves all the way of the hole their challenge has gotten them into.

Doing this provides hope, and a sense of control over something you can’t control (like COVID-19 and its aftermath).

Take care of yourself

Resilient people avoid negativity, and they focus on mental and physical self-care. Perhaps right now this means avoiding the news for a few days, and avoiding people who are emotionally draining to interact with. Seek out positive information, advice, and people, and you’ll easily feel better about the situation you’re in. Find ways to exercise in your home – maybe do some YouTube yoga with your family, or workout with your co-workers. 

Use this as an opportunity to make some self-discovery.

When I was in my accident, a mentor told me that how I responded to the situation was real insight into who I am as a person. She said that right after the accident, I would’ve been operating from a place of instinct rather than reason. And the fact that I wasn’t running around flailing my arms and screaming bloody murder was a sign that I was (and am) the type of person who could lead people through adversity.

My instinct was to sit down and take some time to comprehend what had just happened to me, so that I could make calculated decisions about next steps. Mind you, this was all happening immediately after being hit by 150 tons going 35 miles per hour.

I take comfort in the fact that I know I have what it takes to get through this. And you should take comfort in the fact that you too have what it takes to get through this.

Use this time to journal, think, reflect, and figure it out. What kind of person might you be right now? And what kind of person might you be in a zombie apocalypse? 

I’ve got a few things brewing to help you make connections, build a plan and stay positive. 

GROUP DISCUSSION ON OVERCOMING CHALLENGES OF COVID-19

This is a mastermind group format made up of HR professionals, leaders, consultants and business owners. It’s free, and we’ll discuss our challenges, provide each other advice, and hear what other organizations are doing.

Sign up for the first one here. It’s Friday the 3rd at 9 am.  

LIVE WEBINAR ON COMPLIANCE, CULTURE, AND COMMUNICATION DURING COVID-19

Find purpose and build a plan with information from tomorrow’s webinar: Compliance, Culture and Communication During Coronavirus. We’ve got employment law attorney Jenna Leyton-Jones on deck, and she and I will review the new laws and guidelines along with tips for managing your workforce.

 

Let’s create a plan to build a positive workplace! | Invite Catherine to speak | Check out our webinar library

 

 

Civility is the platform for organizational success—it is absolutely necessary for an organization to reach its goals. Download our Ebook on Seeking Civility to learn more on how to create a workplace free of bullying and abusive conduct.

 

About Catherine Mattice

Catherine Mattice, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is President of consulting and training firm, Civility Partners, and has been successfully providing programs in workplace bullying and building positive workplaces since 2007. Her clients include Fortune 500’s, the military, several universities and hospitals, government agencies, small businesses and nonprofits. She has published in a variety of trade magazines and has appeared several times on NPR, FOX, NBC, and ABC as an expert, as well as in USA Today, Inc Magazine, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine, and more. Catherine is Past-President of the Association for Talent Development (ATD), San Diego Chapter and teaches at National University. In his book foreword, Ken Blanchard called her book, BACK OFF! Your Kick-Ass Guide to Ending Bullying at Work, “the most comprehensive and valuable handbook on the topic.” She recently released a second book entitled, SEEKING CIVILITY: How Leaders, Managers and HR Can Create a Workplace Free of Bullying.

Free Webinar: Unlock Your Managers’ Leadership Potential

Being good at your job doesn’t make you good at managing people. You know this.  You also know the outcome when an individual contributor moves to a manager role without receiving the right training – a struggling team, unclear expectations, conflict, disengaged...

5 Tools for Pitching Culture Change to Leadership

You already know that a strong culture leads to engaged employees, lower turnover, and a healthier bottom line, but convincing leadership? That’s a different story. It's exhausting pushing for changes that are dismissed as “soft skills” or shot down because they don't...

Why leadership’s ‘Hands-Off’ approach to culture is costing you more than you think

Picture this: you’re actively working to foster a positive workplace culture, but managers and leaders are adopting a 'hands-off' approach. At first, it seems harmless, even convenient—but beneath the surface, it's quietly wreaking havoc. Top talent? They're slipping...

Elections and Leadership: 3 Ways Your Reaction Can Impact Your Team

Election season tends to bring division and tension, and it’s hard to avoid. Even if you’ve reminded your team to steer clear of political conversations at work, it’s likely that the topic will still pop up here and there. The truth is, having employees with different...

You Have It All Wrong: 4 Ways Employers Can Successfully Influence Well-Being

Did you know that the World Health Organization (WHO) classified burnout as an occupational phenomenon? In other words, while leaders and HR tend to classify burnout as a personal failing, as evidenced in the way they tackle it with offerings of gym memberships and...

5 Tips You Haven’t Seen for Engaging Hybrid And Remote Workers

According to Forbes, one in five workers is working remotely and 98% of workers want to work remotely at least some of the time. Yet, despite the flexibility that hybrid and remote work offer, engagement is a major challenge. In fact, the 2023 State of Remote Work...

Measuring Onboarding Effectiveness: Key Metrics for Success

Having an employee orientation program is a great start. It usually involves getting paperwork signed, introducing new hires around the office, and providing some initial training. But are you truly onboarding your employees? Effective onboarding is more than just a...

Measuring Recruiting and Hiring Success: Key Metrics to Track

In the past, recruiting was often a "spray and pray" approach—posting job openings everywhere and hoping the right candidate would find their way to us, even faxing over their resumes. Thankfully, recruiting today is far more strategic, thanks to the internet and...

HR Ninja-ing: 9 ways to impact culture with $0 budget

Workplace culture is an uphill battle when the budget is tight or, worse, nonexistent. You’re expected to create a thriving, engaged workforce, but the reality is harsh: Gallup reports that only 32% of U.S. employees are engaged at work. Meanwhile, disengaged...

It’s Labor Day: Are you celebrating your workers or burning them out?

This last Labor Day should have been a day of rest—a chance for employees to recharge and reflect on the contributions they’ve made to their organizations. But for many workers, the reality was likely far from relaxing. A 2023 Gallup survey shows that only 32% of U.S....