Resilience Part 1 - An Internal Focus
“Having coached lacrosse for over 25 years, I’ve been inspired by the resilience of so many young people - those courageously fighting through mental illness, experiencing brutal academic or social setbacks, grieving the loss of friends and teammates, even tirelessly working to earn more game time. I’ve also been inspired by small, everyday acts of resilience that add up to something incredibly powerful.
Exemplifying this last category - the steady construction of resilience through ordinary acts - was ninth grader Jeanne the ski racer, who we asked to play in goal despite having never, ever played lacrosse. Jeanne was uniquely fearless. Unshakable. Positive in that rooted way that strengthens.
“In ski racing,” Jeanne once explained to me, “you rarely win,” and even the top skiers only finish first occasionally. Jeanne likely had 100 chances every day to berate herself for mistakes. Instead, she adjusted and moved forward. I don’t suspect Jeanne had heard of Dr. Carol Dweck’s growth mindset, but she lived it.
I can now see that Jeanne’s ability to tap the breaks and take stock was stunning, especially for her age and experience. When balls whizzed past her head at 50 mph, Jeanne was able to take a deep breath and say to herself, “That was a great shot - I had no chance” or “Step up - you’ve got the next one.” And move on. Always connecting with her teammates. Never blaming others. Taking each moment as it came to her.
Jeanne’s resilience anchored the players around her. By her sophomore year, she was All-State First Team. By her junior year, she was elected captain. Dr. Jeanne Barthold now has a PhD in mechanical engineering and is a co-founder of TissueForm. Along the way, she must have made thousands of mistakes, tapped the breaks, taken stock, and seen her mistakes as an opportunity for growth - a little more resilient each time.”
- Marianne Bocock Doyle, Build Up Executive Function Coaching for Teens and Adults, Founder and Coach
In the workplace, there are many challenges we face: stressful weeks, tight deadlines, and feelings of burnout. When faced with setbacks, we may be inclined to throw up our hands. Instead, we power through, leveraging skills to overcome these challenges. This ability we all possess to hold our heads high and persevere is known as resilience.
Did you know?
The American Psychological Association defines resilience as “adapting in the face of adversity.” While stress can be a motivating factor at work–promoting productivity and high performance–once it exceeds a certain threshold, stress becomes very unhealthy. Excessive stress can lead to burnout and an array of chronic health issues, impacting personal well-being as well as our ability to do our job.
The same adverse experience can trigger vulnerability in some and resilience in others. However, anyone can cultivate skills that foster resilience. For instance, engaging in mindfulness can decrease the tendency to ruminate on negative thoughts when faced with stress. The power of the pause is likewise important in scaling down and stepping back from a stressor that looms large in the present. Having a growth mindset is also helpful in maintaining a holistic perspective and an optimistic attitude about the future.
While all of these active coping strategies are important to enhancing resilience, many experts agree that what is most essential for those who are overcoming adversity is building strong relationships. Having a social support system is key to promoting physical and psychological well-being under stressful conditions. Additionally, when we extend our support to those around us through prosocial behaviors, by helping others or practicing altruism, for example, this can help us to heal and feel stronger ourselves. In the realm of relationship-building, having a workplace that is psychologically safe is important for the creation of resilient teams. Employees must feel safe to establish boundaries at work to prevent burnout and take needed breaks. It is also important to create a work environment in which teams view falling short of a goal or making a mistake not as a failure but as an opportunity for growth.
Awareness, Context, Intention
Building Awareness: What role does resilience play in your life? What strengths can you leverage to boost your resilience?
Considering Context: What environments call for resiliency in your life?
Setting Intention: Explore active coping strategies such as mindfulness, growth mindsets and “the power of the pause” to boost your resilience.
Tap into your strengths
Use humor to have a lighthearted view and find things to smile about
Use perspective to understand stressors and prevent negative thought spirals
Use hope to maintain an optimistic outlook when times are tough
Use curiosity to explore mindfulness practices that improve resilience
