5 ways to stay resilient at work

Job stress has become a major problem in the world, so much so that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has labeled it as the “global epidemic of the 21^st century”. That’s why resilience is so important to the modern office worker. Here are five ways to stay resilient at work.

1 Be mindful
The practice of mindfulness has proven in recent studies that it’s invaluable to staying resilient at work. Mindfulness is about developing the ability to maintain focus on the present while accepting your thoughts and feelings. While it’s used as a therapeutic way to calm down following stress, it’s also a great tool to use when you’re under pressure or trying to learn a new skill. Try to always be present in the moment; don’t worry about what happened in the past or what might happen in the future. Acknowledge your emotions and listen to your gut feeling. Need some help? Try mindfulness colouring books or games to take your mind off what’s stressing you out.

2 Compartmentalise
We can only actively process a small percentage of the information we receive on a daily basis. What we can do is learn to compartmentalise all of this data and “file” it away into different sections of your brain. Lock away the bits you don’t need right now for whatever project you’re working on so you can go back to it later when it’s pertinent.

3 Take a break
Pay attention to your natural working rhythm – when your energy dips and spikes. Once you understand your own body clock you can schedule breaks to detach yourself from work when your energy is low. You only need a few minutes in which to look away from your screen or take a short walk around the office. That’s plenty to reset and come back to the task at hand completely refreshed.

4 Develop mental agility
Teach yourself to respond to stress rather than react to it. The difference is that you’ll be able to stop and consider the situation as a whole, including your thoughts and feelings, so that instead of presenting your immediate emotional reaction you can respond appropriately and intelligently.

5 Be compassionate
Remember that you’re not the only one dealing with stress. The best way to stay resilient at work is to cultivate compassion – both for yourself and others. If a colleague is struggling, put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself how you would deal with the situation. You can even pass on these tips to help them cope with difficult times.

Read the original article by Rich Fernandez for the Harvard Business Review at bit.ly/29hdCBl