How To Handle Emotional Resilience in the Workplace

Have you ever wondered what makes someone successful at work? Is it their knowledge, attitude, approach, bonding, or simply hard work?

Unlike many who think the key to success at work is intelligence or interpersonal skills or even going above and beyond the demands of their work roles such as working extra long hours and taking extra commitments, in reality, that isn’t the case.

A research study was conducted over the years based on the observation that a company was going through a radical change, and with time almost 50% of employees lost their jobs, more so around two-thirds experienced stressful life events (such as divorce, depression, and other mental health issues, heart attacks, etc.). Despite this, one-third of employees not only overcame and survived the setbacks they faced but actually flourished. So what exactly worked in their favour?

The ability to be resilient in times of challenges and adversities is really what stands for the survival of the fittest. Resilience is the tendency to ‘bounce back’, an excellent life skill that not only allows one to keep up with the tides of life but also moulds one to create a favourable environment for themselves.

In such times, handling our emotions can play a big difference, thus emotional resilience teaches one to ‘roll with the punches’, and to adapt to stressful situations or crises at work.

Resilient employees possess strong characteristics such as –

Effective communication skills help them build great relationships and strong connections where an individual actively listens and is responsive to their colleague and their emotions.

Showing social support, being a team- player, and helping others achieve success, as well as building trust, and staying true to your ‘real’ self are qualities that build emotional resilience.

Lastly, people that bring an element of play and wit to their work, know how to manage their stress effectively, and indulge in self-care activities after an intense day at work are the ones that overcome tough times effectively.

How To Become Emotionally Resilient

Workplace dynamics keep changing but with the power of resilience, one can find a sturdy ground for success and personal growth. The attributes to becoming emotionally resilient have been stated in recent studies, as commitment, control, and challenge. To further reiterate, employees that commit themselves to their work are better able to handle the tasks at hand, and when they have a sense of control they feel trusted and responsible, which garners better results. Not only that, they also start to view challenges and stress as a part of life and focus on what can be done instead of what could have been done.

Being mindful and empathetic is another way to take charge of your emotions, sitting with them, allowing your emotions to feel, and communicating them to your peers will not only boost your morale but also improve your connection with others.

Developing emotional insight known as emotional intelligence is key in becoming more self-aware. Individuals with a level of insight, also have a level of awareness in experiencing a full range of emotions, from negative to positive, and are more likely to handle it well when work gets challenging.

Some ways in which you can empower your emotions are –

> Accepting, Expressing, and Rewiring your thoughts, and feelings

> Taking responsibility and being honest with yourself, and others

> Learning to Adapt and Empathize with how others feel, think, and act

> Indulging in the right habits which make you feel confident, in control, and energetic

To quote, “It is not about managing your emotions, as much as it is about managing your reaction to your emotions”, and becoming resilient will help you do just that. After all, you must remember work is only a part of your life, and not otherwise.

Soniyaa’s Instagram handle – https://www.instagram.com/soniyaakiran/?hl=en