Presented by: Andria Lehr

Date: November 23rd, 2012

Increasing your personal resilience

EFAP InformationEnglish:1-866-299-1299

French: 1-866-398-9505

TTY: 1-888-384-1152

Online: www.homewoodhumansolutions.ca

Confidential Counselling Available 24/7

Understand the protective factors of resilience and Identify realistic, practical strategies to increase your resilience and limit the impact of stressors on health

Objectives of the workshop

1. Defining resilience

2. Developing skills to increase resilience

– Look after your physical health

– Respect your mental/emotional health

– Build a strong social/relational network

Agenda

Optimal zone

Boredom Panic

PRODUCTIVITY

STRAIN

Strain and mental health

• Physical

• Mental/Emotional

• Social/Relational

• Behavioural

Stress impacts us on many levels

Resilience defined

• An individual's ability to generate biological, psychological and social factors to resist, adapt and strengthen itself, when faced with an environment of risk, generating individual, social and moral success. – Source: Oscar Chapital C. (2011)

• The positive psychological capacity to rebound, to ‘bounce back’ from adversity, uncertainty, conflict, failure, or even positive change, progress, or increased responsibility”– Source: Luthans, 2002, p. 702

• To help us overcome obstacles, borders or mindsets in our life

• Video clip: Amy Purdy, World Cup gold medalist http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/TEDxOrangeCoast-Amy-Purdy-Livin

Why build resiliency?

Individual exercise

1. Identify key strengths in below domains:

• Physical• Mental/emotional• Social/relational• Behavioural (Skills)

2. Rate (0-100%) how resilient you currently consider yourself to be in relation to each of these domains

Three key skills of resilient people are:

1. They have a positive/optimistic view of themself and confidence in their strengths and abilities

2. They have the capacity to manage strong feeling, emotions and impulses

3. They have the capacity to make realistic plans and to take steps to carry them out

What do resilient people look like?

1. Respect your mental/emotional health

2. Build a strong social/relational network

3. Look after your physical health

4. Change your behaviour

Develop skills to increase your resilience

1. Respect your mental/emotional healtha. Maintain an optimistic outlookb. Develop a strong sense of self-worthc. Manage strong feelings, emotions and

impulsesd. Practice the attitude of gratitudee. Learn new skills

Develop skills to increase your resilience

a. Maintain an optimistic outlook

• Avoid catastrophizing and blowing negative events out of proportion

• Engage in responsible optimism

• Own the situation and take appropriate action

Exercise: What went well today?

• Confidence in your ability to solve problems and trusting your instincts helps build resilience

• Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses

• Be confident in your own strengths and abilities and lean on them in times of stress

b. Develop a strong sense of self-worth

1. Quiet yourself

2. Ask yourself: what are my strengths, gifts, values?

3. Quiet external voices

4. Lean on your strengths in times of stress

Leaning on signature strengths

Become aware of your thoughtsColleague or boss who comes charging inside your office

with a concern … pause, investigate

Recognize physiological changesYou feel flushed… your voice changes…

you are gritting your teeth

Take charge of your behaviourYou begin to tap your pencil or become

fidgety when you feel nervous

c. Manage feelings and emotions

d. Practice the attitude of gratitude

For it is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.“

Dr. Brene Brown

1. Write a "gratitude letter," a kind of belated thank-you note to someone in your life.

2. Deliver the letter in person.

Exercise of gratitude

• Learn new skills, gain new understanding and apply them during times of stress

e. Learn new skills

2. Build a strong social/relational network

– Develop a strong supportive network of friends, family and cohorts

Develop skills to increase your resilience

3. Look after your physical health

• Eat nutritiously dense foods

• Schedule regular physical activity

• Prioritize sleep

Develop skills to increase your resilience

Develop skills to increase your resilience

4. Change your behaviour

Develop a realistic plan for building your resilience in below domains. What would be the first step?

• Physical• Mental/emotional• Social/relational• Behavioural (Skills)

Happiness is not the absence of problems but

the ability to deal with them

[Charles Louis de Montesquieu (1689-1755)]

In summary…

• Keep a positive, open minded, problem solving perspective

• Reach out to friends and family

• Take care of yourself

• Find helpful resources

EFAP InformationEnglish:1-866-299-1299

French: 1-866-398-9505

TTY: 1-888-384-1152

Online: www.homewoodhumansolutions.ca

Confidential Counselling Available 24/7