If you suffer from constant Chronic Stress and Anxiety you could be shrinking your brain day by day.
According to John Hawks, a professor of anthropology at the University of Wiconsin, the human
brain shrinks every 20,000 years from 1,500 cubic centimetres to 1,350 cc losing a chunk the size of a
tennis ball.
Chronic Stress and Anxiety; only helps to shrink your brain further and far more rapidly with huge
ramifications which include memory loss.
This is no wonder why the World Health Organization named Stress as “The Health Epidemic of the
21 st Century”.
More than half of the population that suffers from stress is part of the valuable workforce. This
means that either work is not executed well, there are many gaps due to sick employees that need
time off work and/or people do not put the best foot forward hence the output is below par.
How do you cope with the stress that comes in your life to ensure that you are productive both at
work and in your personal life?
Well, you could quit your job, but will those bills pay themselves? You could take a week off every
week but am not sure your boss will allow you. The only option left is to change how you respond to
the stressors at work. Our role here is to show you how you can achieve this through Workplace
Resilience.
Workplace Resilience
What is resilience? “The ability to mitigate the effects of stress i.e; factors such as emotional,
cognitive, physiological, behavioural responses to work, the work environment or the organisations”
Levi, 2000 EU Guidance on Work Related Stress Resilience is therefore; the ability to “bounce back” and “roll with the punches”.
You know those people or have friends who always seem to be ‘on top’ of their emotions? Those that can transform any challenge into an opportunity? Those are the resilient people who can absorb any learning offered by setbacks they face and at the minimum physical and mental cost. This is where we should all aim to be and to achieve.
But why is resilience so important? When you are stressed, you experience or feel anger, pain and
grief. Only resilient people are able to keep functioning physically and psychologically. The rest of us
break down, withdraw and could even be depressed. Resilience helps us to grow, to survive and to
develop.
How can you build resilience?
1. Thinking and Coping styles
Psychologist and executive coach Naomi Harrisson says: “The way you think about challenges can
help you build resilience and well-being at work”. The following are strategies she recommends:
- Remind yourself of previous accomplishments- both big and small.
- Think about what is currently working well- it can help problems seem smaller and empower
you to act. - Break challenges into smaller chunks and goals- this makes it easier for you to see progress.
- Focus on what you can control and act on that.
- Be prepared for setbacks and challenges- they can happen any time.
- Take a break every so often. Get some space. Take time to recharge.
2. Lifestyle Factors
It is important to do things outside of work that you enjoy. Additionally, maintain a healthy
weight, eat a balanced diet, drink lots of water and exercise regularly. Exercise helps at a
biological level to alleviate stress and improve resilience.
3. Support Networks
Having a support network, both at the workplace and at home can help to reduce stress and
build resilience. Research has proven that in adverse situations, when you feel good and
supported, you are able to deal and cope more effectively than when you feel abandoned and
alone.
We are social creatures. Positive relationships lead to positive emotions, a sense of wellbeing
and an ability to deal with stress and adverse situations.
When you live in isolation, you are more likely to develop depression and anxiety.
There you have it guys, take the above steps and maintain that post-holiday glow well into the
year…or at least until we have a public holiday!
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