Everyone falls on tough times or faces the occasional setback. How we respond in the face of these events and bounce back can be summed up in one word: resilience.
What is resilience?
Resilience is a trait we develop that helps us cope with hard times and recover in a healthy way. Life presents challenges that can knock us off our feet; the death of a loved one, a job loss or medical emergency can test our resolve.
A resilient individual is able to face these traumas head-on. Some often correlate resilience with blocking out emotions to get through difficulties, but this is untrue. Resilience means knowing when to ask for help, rely on resources and engage in coping mechanisms. In short, it’s a valuable ability that can carry us through the worst times.
How is resilience useful in the workplace?
Our working environment can be a major contributor to stress. A 2015 study by the American Psychological Association found 65% of employees rate their jobs as their top stressor. But with cultivated resilience, employees can rise to the challenge.
Building strength in this area creates positive outcomes for employers and employees. Resilient employees embrace new or difficult responsibilities, as opposed to avoiding them. These staff members are often quicker to adapt to changing environments and open to learning different processes, making them an ideal candidate for promotions.
How can I create a resilient workforce?
Making a massive culture change starts where your staff interacts the most: their cell phone. While studies have shown employees are quick to check their phone during the workday, you can use this to your advantage. Start developing a resilient workforce using your employee app!
Read on for these four app-based methods.
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Continually post practical exercises for building emotional and mental resilience
Is your company in the middle of a stressful period? Encourage everyone to take a break! Use your app’s notifications to send out simple, easy-to-follow actions that develop resilience over time. Reminders can include:
- Paced breathing exercises
- Visualizing positive outcomes
- Reframing negative thoughts
- Grounding exercises
Stay consistent in these reminders so employees are able to build on these strengths when the workload gets stressful.
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Promote strategies for maintaining positivity
It can be difficult to see the sunny side of things when times are tough. But positive psychology is an excellent coping tool when honed over time. This doesn’t mean we ignore unpleasant feelings, but instead acknowledge what is happening and how we can work through it in an encouraging way. These strategies can include:
- Employing mindfulness, which focuses on the present without judgment
- Practicing gratitude for what you have
- Doing a random act of kindness
These behaviors can be encouraged within your employee app. You can begin by creating a group to promote one of these strategies, maybe a gratitude group where you and your employees write out what you’re grateful for.
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Support a resilient workplace culture
Empower your employees by establishing transparent communication within your employee app. Ensure your staff understands that this channel is open for honest conversation, where concerns are able to be freely shared. Doing so fosters a key aspect of a resilient workforce: trust.
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Share real-life examples of resilience
Sometimes we can feel overwhelmed and struggle to see the finish line. When the going gets tough, it can be helpful to use your app to send out messages of success. There are countless articles detailing real people’s rise to success through their resilience. For example, legendary media mogul Oprah Winfrey overcame a series of personal and professional setbacks to become the entertainment icon she is today.
Your app can also be an opportunity to celebrate your employee’s resilience. Recognize hard work and reward employees who demonstrate the resiliency you aim to foster.
Now that you’re ready to create a culture of resilience, consider backstitch to strengthen your team! With a fully customizable employee app, you can build channels that respond to employee needs and successes in a strategic and personalized way.
