The ‘R’ word - what does it really mean to be ‘resilient’?

Mention the word ‘resilience’ to somebody and they may tell you it is all about powering on - to keep going through the tough times no matter what. Resilience has become one of those corporate buzz-words that gets thrown around a lot by managers, but we should all be careful how we use and interpret this word. If we keep on going and don’t give ourselves enough time to recharge our batteries, we risk hitting the wall and burning out. This is not a good place for anyone to be in.

Managers need to be mindful of how they use the word resilience, as they can inadvertently give their teams the impression that taking a break is frowned upon. To me, being resilient also means having the self-awareness to understand the importance of self-care, and to ensure enough time is built in to our schedules so that we don’t end up running on empty.

If you try to keep on driving your car when the fuel gauge is on red, and don’t stop to fill up, you won’t get much further down the road before you are forced to stop. Humans are the same - we have to fill up, or we break down.

People can’t work at their optimum best when they reach this point, and battling on regardless is not going to do anyone any favours. We can’t produce our best work under these conditions, but a Gallup survey conducted last July[1] showed almost a quarter of us feel it frequently. Burnout also costs businesses billions. According to research published in the Harvard Business Review, employee burnout in the US costs somewhere between $125 - $195 billion dollars each year in healthcare costs[2] yet it is entirely preventable.

Many executives come to me suffering from symptoms of burnout, including exhaustion, anxiety, depression and stress. They have reached this stage because they have not been allowed the chance to recharge, either because their managers have pushed them too hard, or they have put too much pressure on themselves. They are like the car that didn’t stop for petrol. Some of them have reached this stage because they were trying to demonstrate ‘resilience’ and set a good example to their teams. This is not a good example, and it is not really what resilience should look like. A better example would be to demonstrate the importance of taking regular breaks.

It is so important in the digital age we now live in to switch off completely from work from time to time, and avoid falling into the trap of being ‘always on’. Laptops and smartphones mean we carry our offices around with us almost all the time now, and the temptation is to just carry on working when we should be relaxing. Spending time on holidays answering emails and taking work calls means we don’t get a proper chance to recharge, so if at all possible it is very healthy to resist the temptation to do this. We can all sometimes fall into the trap of thinking everything is urgent, but in reality a lot of things can wait.

Resilience is about recharging and re-energizing yourself.

As we approach the festive season, it seems like an ideal time for us all to think about how we can use this period to ensure we recharge ourselves properly. Christmas should be a time for relaxing and spending time with loved ones, but this is also not without its stresses. That last minute dash to find the perfect gift, family members that test our patience, planes trains and automobiles to visit relatives that live in far-flung corners - all this can also take its toll on our bodies and our minds.

This Christmas, as we reflect on the year that’s gone, and make resolutions for the year ahead, why not make it your resolution to recharge and revitalise more regularly, so you can face 2020 with energy and enthusiasm? That’s what real resilience is all about!

(Title Image by Jill Wellington, Pixabay)

[1] https://www.gallup.com/workplace/237059/employee-burnout-part-main-causes.aspx

[2] https://hbr.org/2017/04/employee-burnout-is-a-problem-with-the-company-not-the-person