Cultivating Resilience, an Essential Skill in our Changing World

The American Psychological Association describes resilience as "the process and outcome of successfully adaptating to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands." Research conducted by the University of California at Los Angeles has shown that resilience is linked to greater emotional well-being and reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety. Hence the importance of developing and cultivating it to live our daily lives more serenely, at work and at home, and to be able to ride the waves of perpetual change in today's society.

What are the Characteristics of Resilient People?

Dr. Emmanuel Contamin lists three types of individual resources characteristic of the most resilient people in his book "The 5 Circles of Resilience" :

1. Cognitive skills, such as the ability to step back and solve problems, mental flexibility (adaptability to change), humor and creativity;

2. Social skills, such as empathy, altruism or the ability to mobilize people you can count on ;

3. Character strengths, such as autonomy, self-confidence, the ability to regulate emotions, optimism, courage and perseverance in the face of adversity.

Eight Tips for Developing your Resilience Factors at Work and in your Life

Resilience is not just a character trait, but a valuable skill that can be developed and strengthened over time. Our ability to adapt is built up throughout our lives. Developing it actively and voluntarily is entirely possible at individual level, as it is based on factors over which each individual can have control. A healthy lifestyle and emotional and social support are essential in this process. By strengthening your resilience, you can overcome obstacles more easily and thrive in your personal and professional life.

Here are eight ways of strengthening your resilience and your ability to face up to challenges and bounce back from difficulties.

1. Take care of your body and your lifestyle : Exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet and take time out to relax, for example by practicing sophrology, meditation or other wellness activities that improve stress management and strengthen your ability to cope with pressure.

2. Preserve your sleep: Sleep is essential for our brain to recover from complex daytime activity, organize new learning and memory and better regulate our emotions, while promoting cell regeneration and strengthening the immune system. Make sure you get enough sleep every night and, we can't stress this enough, avoid screens for at least 30 minutes before going to bed.

3. Cultivate self-awareness : Learn to recognize your emotions, strengths and weaknesses. Self-awareness enables you to better understand how you react in the face of adversity and to develop strategies for dealing with challenges.

4. Practice positive thinking : Train yourself to adopt an optimistic outlook, even in difficult times. Seeing obstacles as learning opportunities can strengthen your ability to bounce back from difficulties.

5. Avoid ruminations : Encourage yourself to stop dwelling on past events and focus on the positive actions you can take now to move forward. Focus on the present moment to minimize worries about a future that isn't here yet.

6. Cultivate a strong support network : Surround yourself with positive, encouraging people. Social support and our attachment bonds play a crucial role in strengthening our resilience by providing us with an emotional support network.

7. Set realistic goals : Define clear, achievable goals, taking into account your resources and constraints. Progressively achieving these goals will boost your self-confidence and your ability to overcome obstacles.

8. Enjoy nature : Take the time to reconnect with nature and enjoy the soothing benefits of the natural environment while walking outdoors, contemplating a landscape or gardening. Exposure to nature can boost the immune system, reduce stress, improve mood, mental clarity and concentration, and foster a sense of inner peace.

Sophrology to Develop your Resilience

Sophrology is a powerful tool for building resilience. By integrating relaxation, meditation and positive evocation practices, among others, it helps to intensify your cognitive and social capacities, and your character strengths, the three types of essential resources mentioned above for building resilience.

Indeed, sophrological practice can help you gain mental flexibility, develop greater self-awareness, and strengthen your ability to stand back, your empathy, your self-confidence, your capacity for emotional regulation and your courage, for example.

The Significant Importance of Resilience in the Workplace

Resilience is not only important on a personal level in one's private life, it also plays a crucial role at work. Why is this so? There are 5 main reasons.

1.  Better stress management & health preservation:

Being resilient enables you to manage pressure better, and helps reduce the risk of deteriorating your physical, mental and emotional health. Studies have shown that resilient employees are less likely to suffer burnout and miss work due to health problems.

2. Greater adaptability:

Resilience enables employees to adapt more easily to change, assimilate new information and develop coping skills in the face of uncertainty.

3. Maintained performance levels:

Resilient employees are more likely to maintain high levels of productivity even when faced with obstacles or setbacks. Resilient employees are more productive than their non-resilient peers, and their commitment and job satisfaction are also higher.

4. Enhanced collaboration:

Teams made up of resilient individuals tend to collaborate and problem-solve better, strengthening team cohesion and fostering a climate of trust and mutual support within the organization.

5. Job satisfaction:

Resilient individuals tend to experience higher levels of job satisfaction, resulting in higher motivation, a greater sense of accomplishment and greater loyalty to the company.

Developing your resilience is therefore essential if you are to be healthier, more effective and more satisfied in your daily life. 

Organizations Have a Role to Play in Developing Employee Resilience

Beyond developing individual resilience, it's important to remember that organizations also have a role to play in fostering its development and supporting their employees in their day-to-day professional lives, by promoting a healthy corporate culture where well-being is encouraged, recognition of work and of involvement prevails, interpersonal relationships are positive, and support and collaboration are commonplace. All of these are conditions conducive to the long-term growth and success of organizations.