Resilience is becoming a much used word at work, in coaching and when we talk about our children. Do people understand what it is?
One definition is ‘the capacity to recover quickly from adversity; mental toughness’.
In 2021, LinkedIn listed it as the top ‘Power Skill’ in their workplace learning report!
Regardless of definition, it is all relative to you and your personal circumstances; we all deal with things differently and deal with different things!
Life is full of ups and downs; it is how we prepare for, manage and respond to these moments that dictates our ability to stay balanced, keep focused and ultimately maintain our capacity to operate at home and in work.
If the last two years has taught us anything, it has been how to be more resilient. Managing home schooling plus looking after a pre-schooler and holding down a full-time job during the pandemic was certainly a lesson in developing resilience for me.
Starting to write a blog brings about a great deal of reflection. How did I become resilient? When do I show resilience? When do I not?
For me, the perfect training ground for resilience was sport, which is where my two chosen professions align and how I can really use my experience of high-performance sport and draw the parallels to both the world of business and parenting.
Sport helps us, and particularly children, develop better ways to cope with the highs and lows of life, and value the learning from them. It is the perfect place to learn how to respond to life’s adversities – the lows of injury, poor training sessions, lack of sleep, unfairness from officials, the environment, etc.
Largely, what we see play out in sport is reflected in our day-to-day life as a parent or at work. When doing some reading for this blog, I came across some research by Stafford University. Within the findings, it highlighted that the resilience developed through sport, particularly around dealing with adversity and failure, reduces burnout in work and anxiety.
When we look more closely at the careers of our most successful athletes, we see not only the resilience developed through sport but also the coaches supporting them on their journey, playing a huge role in what they achieve.
High-performance coaching is not about coaching high performers; it is really about helping sports people of all levels to reach their full potential, which is the same in business and in life.
Coaching provides you with a training ground – a liberating and safe space to explore who you are. A coach will provide encouragement to overcome challenges and move you into action and, where necessary, highlight some blind spots you may not be aware of yet.
Working with a coach to develop your resilience and reach your potential in work and life should be no different.
I am sure you will have your own views on what resilience means to you and how it plays out in your world. The beauty about resilience is we can all develop our levels of resilience, particularly in different situations.
So, challenge yourself. How might you become more resilient? How can you increase your own resilience and that of your family?
Quick tips to build resilience:
- Stay connected and talk things through
- Know your own stress triggers
- Keep a growth mindset
- Lean on your support network
Take care of your wellbeing – work life balance is key!
In summary, coaching is hugely beneficial in developing resilience. I see the positive results with my clients every single day. If you are interested in hearing about my approach or working with me, please get in touch.
Beth Macleod
Bethmacleod1975@gmail.com
PREM
July 24, 2022
