Building Personal Resilience

Ensure that you have a support network both at work and in your personal life, such as family, friends and colleagues. Make the most of any support available to you such as our intranet pages and relevant websites, the employee wellbeing advice and support centre, our staff forum, and external organisations. 

Learn to accept the things that you cannot control and recognise the things that you can. This is particularly important when adapting to change and will allow you to view the things that are happening with a more positive mindset. This will help you to think more rationally, feel happier, move on, feel more motivated and have more faith in yourself. 

It’s important to take care of yourself so try to make positive and healthy lifestyle choices. These include eating well, staying hydrated and getting enough sleep. You should also try to keep active and develop or maintain hobbies and interests. This will help you to maintain strong physical and mental health during a time when this is vital. Keep in touch with your Health and Wellbeing Champions to find out the latest activities that you can get involved with. 

Make sure that you make time for yourself and take a break, both physically and mentally. Taking regular breaks to have a change of scenery or just a quiet five minutes can make a big difference. Try to maintain a clear separation between working time and ‘down time’ and always change out of your uniform or work clothes once you have finished working for the day. 

Keep working towards your goals; try setting small goals or creating action plans to help you get there. Be kind to yourself, acknowledge your progress and reward yourself for achievements. While there may not be a fast and easy solution to the problem, taking small steps is a great way to start. 

Try to keep things in perspective and see challenges or difficulties as opportunities for personal growth and development. Embrace change, learn from criticism, persist in the face of setbacks, learn from those around you, and remember that difficult times will not last forever. 

Remaining calm and relaxed in difficult situations is important, so allow yourself time to clear your mind. Try practising mindfulness, yoga, tai chi or breathing exercises to relax and unwind. Try to be aware of, and appreciate, the little things. 

Learn to understand your own thoughts; acknowledge unhelpful thinking habits such as anxious or negative thoughts and try to think more positively. Bring yourself back to the facts that you know and think about what advice you would give to a friend if they were experiencing those thoughts. 

Take time to reflect and show gratitude – this is particularly important during times of change. Take notice and become more mindful of your current situation and what is happening in your life right now. Why not try listing 3 things at the end of each day that you are grateful for? 

While laughing, the brain releases endorphins, the natural feel good chemicals. Even during challenging or difficult times, remember that it’s OK to laugh - it might just help!