The first thing I learned about resilience was not to use the word stress when I’m in a difficult situation, but to use the less negative ‘feel pressured’ instead. According to the visiting expert Rene Barrett, from trade body North West Employers, negative language can eat away at the competence and self-esteem that are vital to being resilient. Other factors in building a resilient attitude include having strong relationships with others and asking for help. A clear sense of purpose, values, drive and direction also help you to be persistent and achieve goals in the face of set-backs. Flexibility and adapting to changing situations which are beyond our control are essential to maintaining resilience.
I was able to identify that I do not recover quickly from difficult situations and I need positive emotional states to build my resilience. Rene said there are ten positive emotional states which will help build my resilience. They are joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe and love. She asked how many positive emotional states I felt yesterday. I told her I had felt pride from my son, inspiration from a friend and love from my boyfriend. The exercise helped me recognise which events provoke which emotions, and I realised that I work better when I am happy, which makes me feel good about myself.
Rene said it is important not to let other people’s moods and behaviours affect us, because emotions are infectious. She referred to someone with a negative outlook as a doom goblin. I don’t want to be one. Being emotionally low harms your immune system, which can result in feeling run-down with symptoms such as head-aches or cold sores. However, when someone is positive and happy around me I feel happy for them and get a buzz from their good news. When my emotional state is positive it enables me to connect with people better and improve my decision-making.
The discovery session has helped me identify where I can help myself, and I now know that my resilience is my own personal responsibility. I completed a free questionnaire on andeceived a detailed report that identified which areas I could work on. I can fill-in the questionnaire again in the future and compare my results to see if my resilience has improved.
The discovery session made a real impact on me. I have realised that I need to focus on my own resilience and boost my wellbeing. I am also going to use a technique called one- moment meditation, which will help me make a meaningful shift in my state of mind. My work is contractual and my effort is personal. The more effort I apply the more success I will achieve and pride I will feel. I am now determined to be a resilient person who will view problems as challenges and opportunities.
7 comments
Comment by Lisa Beber posted on
Rebecca, what a wonderfully inspiring piece. Can I ask where you found this discovery session and if there are more being run? Thanks
Comment by Janice Lea posted on
To all those who enjoyed the CSNW Discovery Session on resillience, (kindly delivered by North West Employers), are inspired by Rebecca's article and/or who are looking for further sessions on this or many other subjects, read on. All our Discovery Sessions are advertised on this blog, and invitations are posted to those poele who have been involved with CSNW in some way for distribution to colleagues and friends. The Discovery Sessions are a rolling porgramme of short 2 hour sessions where you can learn more about CSNW opportunities, CS Reform and a variety of other topics depending on the speaker. They are held in as many locations as we can find right across the region to give everyone ease of acces ot them. So if you have a room that seats 25 or more in your building get in touch, we'd love to visit you soon!
The next Discovery session is on 30th June in Preston on The Future Public Sector. Applications for attendance can be made via Eventbrite.
Keep watching for more sessions coming up!
Comment by Tariq S. posted on
Excellent write up Rebecca. Very thought provoking!!
Comment by Kerry McKinley posted on
Great blog Becky. gutted I missed this discovery session. Do you know if it will be tan again anytime soon. Really inspiring!
Comment by kathie bates posted on
The discovery session was one of a series run by CS Local North West. Check out the blog for up an coming sessions - learning and development opportunities.
Comment by angie wilding posted on
A great write up which gave me some excellent answers on how to deal with negative outlooks and how much more a positive outlook gives. Hope the course is running again real soon.
Comment by Rene Barrett ( Resilience Facilitator) posted on
Hi Rebecca I'm delighted that you found the session so worthwhile - it's wonderful to hear that you have taken some of the tips on board and that you are finding them helpful. I enjoyed working with the group! These Discovery sessions are an excellent way of sharing learning in bite sized chunks. Well done to Civil Service Local and North West Employers.