Keystone Practices to Becoming a Resilient Employee
Resiliency is a key to succeeding in life. Without it, most people will succumb to the pressures that are put on us every day, especially during a pandemic. There is so much information on resiliency that it can actually make you overwhelmed and thus less resilient! That’s why West Coast Careers has put together a shortlist of common practices to make employees even more resilient during the COVID-19 outbreak.
1. Get it Down on Paper and Out of Your Head
Make a list of all of the challenges and opportunities you have. It’s important to put a list on paper so it can leave your mind and end ruminating on them. Just because you make a list doesn’t mean you have to do everything that’s on it either. This is important because you’re no longer forcing your brain to remember everything.
2. Build a Shortlist
Every day, you should make a shortlist from your main list to create daily goals. Choose one to three things from your list that would be the most critical to accomplish that day. Think about the items that would free up other resources. In addition, it’s most helpful to make one of the shortlist items something creative or fun. Doing this adds some life to your more stressful and mundane items. When those goals are met, reward yourself: you deserve it. For the overachievers among us, add more items if you would like, but qualify those items as “extra credit”. Setting the bar too high doesn’t make an employee resilient. The overall goal is to finish the day with your shortlist because it will spur more confidence than when you started. Don’t take on too much on your shortlist that you finish the day with the same or lower confidence.
3. Exercise at Least a Little Bit
This is straightforward and doesn’t take much. Simply go for a walk or exercise for 20 minutes a day. You would be surprised how something so commonplace can make an employee feel more resilient.
4. Connect With Others
Social support is a fundamental part of being a human and a critical factor to being resilient. So, call or face time a friend. Email and write a letter to someone telling them how grateful you are for them. Find people who give you energy. Play a game with your roommates or partner. Do you want a real perspective? Call a small child in your network and ask what they are doing while they’re stuck at home.
5. Be Mindful
Being mindful can be different for everyone. Some common examples include mediating, yoga, praying, and making journal entries. Think about the emotions you feel in whatever mindful activity you choose. “I feel angry that… sad that… afraid that… guilty that… happy that… secure that… proud that…”
6. Connect on a Deeper Level
Connecting on a deeper level can also vary among individuals. This could be connecting to a higher power(s), the earth, yourself, however you perceive the world. Connect on a deeper level by proclaiming a statement to who or whatever you want to. Tell the world that it’s your (or their) day. Then watch and see what happens. Think about what purposes you’re trying to find today. Who can you secretly influence to make another life better through kind words? It will be shocking on the returns you get to become more resilient.
Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, please stay healthy.