Stressful phases at work are completely normal. Whether regularly at the end of a quarter, during vacation times or in the run-up to Christmas, employees are particularly challenged at different times depending on the job and industry. It is important that you do not let this stress get to you too much. Easier said than done: Here you can find out what resilience actually is and which exercises will help you to strengthen it.
What is resilience?
Resilience means psychological resistance. Originally, resilience referred to the ability to deal with tragedies such as deaths within the family. Over time, however, the term was also used in industrial psychology. Basically, it’s about keeping a cool head in stressful situations, maintaining an overview and continuing to perform well. If we can calmly deal with stressful situations, this protects us from serious consequences in the long run: job-related exhaustion or, in the worst case, even burnout. There are always people who remain completely relaxed and competent regardless of the stress level, but how do they do it? Good news: Fortunately, you can learn this so-called resilience.
In the long run, stress can have serious psychological or physical consequences for people, which is why resilience at work is particularly important. We are not always responsible for our stress at work. The external circumstances often tear us out of the well-oiled everyday work and present us with various challenges and an extra portion of stress. Depending on the industry, this can be, for example, particularly demanding customers, tight deadlines or an upcoming feedback meeting.
As mentioned, you can learn how to master these challenging situations in a reasonably relaxed manner – by strengthening your resilience. But here’s the bad news: You won’t be completely resistant to stress overnight. Dealing with stress calmly is a process of adjustment – a balancing act, so to speak, where you have to keep catching yourself while strong gusts of wind try to throw you off balance from all sides. You may stumble, but as long as you make it safely to the other side, your resilience is intact. The strong gusts in this example are the external influences: It’s perfectly normal for an approaching deadline to make you sweat, but it shouldn’t throw you off balance.
Resilience Factors: The 7 Pillars of Resilience
Resilience is therefore comparable to a successful tightrope act. Diploma psychologist Ursula Nuber has set up another symbol: the 7 pillars of resilience. The original pillars, also known as resilience factors, were very theoretical. To help people build their resilience, Dr. Franziska Wiebel developed the model and divided the pillars into four basic attitudes and three practices.
1st pillar: Acceptance
The first pillar and basic attitude acceptance refers to two different aspects. On the one hand, it helps your personal well-being if you simply accept solutions. Even if the solution is not your first choice or you are not 100% satisfied with the result – if something works, accept it. The second-best solution to a problem is perfectly adequate in many cases. Accepting them automatically reduces your stress level.
But acceptance also refers to yourself: Nobody is perfect and that’s a good thing. Accept yourself with your mistakes, flaws and weaknesses, then you will appreciate your many qualities and strengths much more.
2nd pillar: Attachment
Bonding represents the second pillar and basic attitude. Social support, e.g. B. by our colleagues or in private also the family, gives us security and helps us to get through stressful phases.
However, good bonding in the workplace can also bring challenges: when the distance between colleagues or supervisors and team members decreases, criticism of performance is quickly taken personally. The so-called factual level (what is actually said) is mixed with the relationship level of communication (what is conveyed or understood between the lines). It is therefore important not to mix work with private life. No matter how well you get along with your superiors, there is still an employment relationship between you. Criticism of your work is not criticism of you.
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3rd pillar: Solution orientation
Even with small steps you can reach your goal. The third of the 7 pillars of resilience, solution orientation, aims to do just that. Don’t let stress get you down, instead try to focus on a good and realistic solution strategy. This strategy should be as concrete, simple and realistic as possible and ideally not dependent on other teams or colleagues. You have your stress level in your own hands and can pave the way to a solution to the big picture with small successes.
4th pillar: Healthy optimism
In particularly stressful phases we sometimes no longer see the light at the end of the tunnel, but one thing is clear: it is always there. As the saying goes: “After the rain comes the eaves”. This is exactly what describes the fourth pillar and thus the last basic attitude according to Franziska Wiebel best: healthy optimism. The important keyword here is healthy, because it is not about blind optimism. It’s about not letting stress and negative feelings get you down, but also keeping an eye on the positive things.
For example, it helps to be thankful for small things: a helpful brainstorming session with the team, a particularly nice customer contact or maybe a sign of appreciation from your manager. This is how you keep a positive attitude despite the stress.
5th pillar: Self-awareness
Self-awareness describes the first practice and the fifth pillar of resilience. What it’s all about is easy to explain: Listen to your body’s signals. Sometimes we are unaware of our stress levels but still suffer the psychological and physical consequences. And that without knowing what we have to change.
When you learn to understand your body’s reactions to stress, you can actively work to reduce your stress levels. So self-awareness is one of the first steps you need to take to improve your long-term resilience at work.
6th pillar: Self-reflection
The sixth pillar of self-reflection aims to look back on a stressful phase with a small time lag. In hindsight, reflect on your reactions to stressors and your thought processes during the stressful period, and try to become aware of what went well and what went better.
For example, ask yourself these questions:
How did I manage to successfully master the stressful situation?
Which stress reaction slowed me down the most?
How would I approach the next stressful situation? What would I change?
The answers to these can help you better understand your individual stress reactions and keep a cool head next time.
7th pillar: Self-efficacy
The seventh pillar of resilience and thus the third practice of self-efficacy is also a kind of thought experiment. It’s about realizing that all your actions have consequences. These consequences can be both negative and positive, depending on the situation.
In terms of resilience at work, however, it is important to understand that you have control over your stress level. You are able to change your situation for the better, for example by asking for help, actively setting priorities or – and this brings us back to the first pillar – accepting that the second best solution is ALSO a solution.
Acceptance, commitment, solution orientation, healthy optimism, self-awareness, self-reflection and self-efficacy: If you have these 7 resilience factors in mind, you are already a big step further. But that brings us back to the original problem with resilience: it can be learned, but it is not a state. Nevertheless, the 7 pillars help us to better master the continuous process of stress management. They offer us protection when we can no longer see the horizon because of all the stress.
Not every column has to be the same height or the same stability. The basic attitudes and practices can support and balance each other. Everyone deals with stress differently. You just have to find the right path for yourself.
