While it’s nice to be able to handle stressful situations, if the workplace puts pressure on your mental health, then resilience may not be the only solution. However, resilience is a vital skill to have. It’s about having the ability to cope with ups and downs and bounce back from challenges. In the workplace, this can be applied to employees’ abilities to handle anything from a difficult workload to frustrating colleagues. Those with higher resilience are better able to manage stress, which is a risk factor for anxiety and depression.
Resilient people have strong resources and skills to manage stress and conflict, as well as a good support network to help them deal with work pressures. They are flexible, adapt to new and different situations, learn from experience, are optimistic and ask for help when they need it.
Improving resilience removes the notion that employees are passive recipients of workplace stress with nothing they can do about it. Resilience is not just about learning ways to cope with unfavorable situations, but about finding ways to move forward so you are not confined to places that harm your overall well-being.
If you are in a position to make changes in your organization, create flexible work arrangements within the office environment. Coping strategies such as mindfulness can help improve effective decision making. Having a strong support network outside of work can also help and contribute to a more resilient skill set.
Resilience is a crucial approach to managing job stress, workplace conflict, and on-the-job challenges. Improving resilience is vital because work is considered a strong predictor of stress among employees. However, stress is not the only factor that can test a person’s flexibility. Bottleneck is how a person handles stress and is a strong indicator of their ability to bounce back.
As employers shape and build effective workplace culture and resilience, they also create a resilient workforce that can better manage workplace stress and develop defensive stress factors. A resilient employee builds strong connections and relationships with others by actively listening and responding to colleagues and their emotions.
Increased resilience contributes to improved employee self-esteem, sense of control over life events, sense of purpose, and improved employee interpersonal relationships. Apart from this, resilience is significantly and positively associated with higher job satisfaction, job happiness, organizational engagement, and employee engagement; thus increasing productivity.
Stressful work environments can lead to negative outcomes for the physical and mental health of employees and organizations. Therefore, when stress is high, there is a need for resilience. Creating a resilient workforce commitment and a healthier organizational culture requires an employer. Resilient employees create resilient organizations. Therefore, motivated and equipped employees are better positioned to overcome obstacles and distractions.
On the other hand, organizational culture is based on principles of empowerment, purpose, trust and responsibility. Building or enhancing a resilient culture is strengthened by company-wide support for employees and a commitment to addressing resilience. But this requires action and regular communication.
To improve the work environment, allow autonomy and let people do their jobs. Reward good work and be reasonable with work expectations because pressuring staff to increase workload can undermine productivity and results.