Workplace Stress Resiliency
Our November Local Government University Course of the Month is “Workplace Stress Resiliency”. This course will be available until December 31st, and it is a great training for all employees in your organization.
Resiliency is the ability to adapt to difficult situations. When stress, adversity, or trauma strikes, whether at work or at home, we can experience anger, grief, or pain. When you are “resilient”, you still may still experience these emotions, but you’re able to keep functioning – both physically and psychologically. Resilient employees are able to manage stress effectively, so it will not become overwhelming and detrimental to them.
Ray Williams (Canadian businessman and author) believed that there are three basic ways individuals react when faced with a difficult situation.
- Respond with anger or aggression
- Become overwhelmed and shut down.
- Feel the emotion about the situation and appropriately handle the emotion
Studies show that there are several factors which help to develop and sustain a person’s resilience:
- The ability to make realistic plans and being capable of taking the steps necessary to follow through with them
- Confidence in one’s strengths and abilities
- Communication and problem-solving skills
- The ability to manage strong impulses and feelings
- Having good self-esteem
What can you do to improve your resiliency or your ability to cope with life’s ups and downs?
- Research shows that having a good support network can help to build resilience and make stress easier to manage. Support from people you trust can make stressful situations easier to manage. This support could include both family and friends.
- Thinking positive. You can’t always control life-changing events, but you can control how you respond to them.
- Look after yourself; self-care is important during times of stress
- Seek professional help; know that it is not a sign of weakness or failure to reach out for guidance or counseling
If you have not yet signed up to use our Local Government University Online Training Portal, please contact Michele Faulkner – mfaulkner@prm-fl.com