Factors that impact our resilience

What supports our resilience?

Research has identified a number of specific factors that enable an individual to ‘bounce back’ and perform at their best in any workplace.

How can you best nurture these factors that help us to maintain our sense of wellbeing in the workplace, particularly when times get tougher:

• Trusting relationships with line managers and colleagues
• Emotional support outside the workplace through family, friends and community
• Supportive and visible management where there’s also clear communication, roles and responsibilities and accurate information available
• A sense of being valued and recognised for work well done
• Workplace self-esteem or identity supported through the encouragement of autonomy and the freedom to act and take responsible risks
• Hope/ belief that things can change
• Perception of being able to cope is high

What can make our resilience vulnerable?

These are from the literature about what makes individuals vulnerable to stress at work. Knowing these helps to be attuned to what might be affecting you and others around you.

• The commitment we have to our jobs
• Over working
• Unclear/conflicting expectations
• Threat or change to job role
• Challenging working environments/remote working
• Social isolation
• Lack of personal control
• Hostile/defensive atmosphere
• Unethical environment
• Lack of communication
• COVID-19
• TV/Social media
• Societal concerns and anxieties

Reflecting personally, how many did you tick?