Mastering modern day resilience

In this article Andy Nicol, CEO of ABSTRACT and former Scotland Rugby Captain provides the guidance you need to master modern day resilience.

What is resilience? Well the dictionary definition is ‘the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties (toughness), or the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape (elasticity).’

I think we can all recognise the first definition as we have gone through the various stages of lockdown. But it is interesting that the second definition, which applies to a substance or object, is now applicable to humans. We have all been bent out of shape in lockdown, to a lesser or greater degree, and we have had to show elasticity and flexibility to spring back time and time again as the restrictions have chopped and changed.

Our daily routine was massively challenged when the virus struck, and everyone has had to be resilient to get through these changes and try and return to some form of normality. We are getting there; the more resilient types are already there – with others coming along at their own pace as they learn to deal with the new norms. Everyone is more resilient as a result.

Resilience has changed over the years. It’s had to, just as the challenges we face have changed…

It used to be something that people had but didn’t talk about. It helped people respond to certain situations, but no one spoke about it. People suffered in silence or kept things bottled up and didn’t share with anyone. This has all changed and for the better. People are more willing to talk about things, they are willing to share their fears and concerns – which is brilliant. It is ok to not be ok!

There are 5 components to modern day resilience

• Situational awareness
• Mindfulness
• Self-care
• Positive relationships
• Purpose

Situational awareness is about knowing that every situation is different and what happens in one situation does not mean it will happen in others. We sometimes get focussed on outcomes which means success and failure become quite subjective. Remember this; failure is an event, not a person!

Mindfulness is about taking time out to allow the brain to reset, recover and go again. It is giving the brain a break when you move from one task to another. Tune in and Tune out. Do something totally different; read a book, listen to a podcast, take the dog for a walk before you tune back into the next task.

Self-care is about taking care of yourself first. Remember when you used to be able to fly and the announcement about oxygen masks appearing from above. Can you remember whose mask you fitted first? Yes, your own. So make sure you look after yourself by getting, for example, the right diet, rest and exercise for you. Not what someone else does but what’s right for you.

Positive relationships are key. Is your glass half-full or half-empty? This might be determined by the people that you listen to. We all know people that can suck the positivity out of any situation. They are ‘mood-hoovers’ and can influence so many people around them. Don’t let them suck you in. Surround yourself with positive people, people who will give you energy and be a positive influence.

What is your purpose? Why do you do what you do? Having a strong purpose is incredibly important to remaining resilient and will keep you on track when things get tough. Without purpose, you can easily get twisted or bent out of shape. Understanding your why will be the moment that everything falls into place.

Get in touch with ABSTRACT to help you or your people master modern day resilience.