How to Stay Resilient During the Holidays

Staying resilient during the holidays can be challenging.

The holidays are a time when many of us feel added pressure and stress

This is especially true when we spend time with our families. If you find yourself feeling tense or wound up after spending time with your loved ones, you’re not alone. It can be tough to keep your cool around the people who know you best, but it is possible. Here are a few tips to help you manage holiday stress:

Holidays with family can be tough for a variety of reasons.

Maybe you find yourself reverting back to old roles or behaving in ways you did when you were younger. It’s easy to fall into old patterns of arguing or storming off when you’re around relatives. But there are ways to cope with these stresses so that you can enjoy your time with your family.

The holidays can bring a lot of joy, but they can also be stressful.

This is often because it’s the only time of year when families gather in one place, which means there are a lot of different personalities to deal with. People are also likely to spend more time in close quarters during the holidays, which can make it difficult to relax and take a break from all the together time. Plus, there’s often a lot of pressure to meet high holiday expectations, which can add even more stress.

If you find yourself getting stressed out this holiday season, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Feeling tense during the holidays is perfectly normal, and there are a few things you can do to try and keep calm.

Remember that it’s okay to feel stressed at times and that you shouldn’t beat yourself up for it. Instead, try to be mindful of when your stress levels start to rise, so you can take steps to care for yourself.

If you’re feeling stressed, angry, let down, or burned out, that’s OK.

These negative emotions are just information and data coming up in your nervous system. You can use physical symptoms of stress, like a racing heart or a flushed face, as a sign to take a deep breath or long walk. Mental cues, like feelings of overwhelm or frustrated, may mean you need to take a break. Awareness allows you to accept these emotions and then take aligned action so your feelings don’t drive your behaviors.

Here are some of the best ways to stay calm during the holidays:

Set Boundaries

If your family just will not stop asking nosy questions or making rude comments, you can shut it down by setting a firm boundary. You can say something like, “I understand you’re curious but I’m not ready to share that.” This will let them know that you’re not comfortable with the conversation and they should respect your wishes.

Stating your boundaries with family members, friends, or anyone else, for that matter, doesn’t always mean they’ll respect them – but you can set consequences if you feel like you’re being pushed too far. For example, if someone asks you a personal question that makes you uncomfortable, you can say something like, “You’ve asked me this several times now and if you continue, I’ll have to leave.” It isn’t easy to set boundaries, but it is the best way to handle a tough crowd. You do have to follow through with the consequences if they keep pushing though, so only set consequences you are prepared to carry through.

Do what you enjoy

One of the best ways to manage holiday stress is by only committing to the parts of the holiday that you actually enjoy. For example, if you love taking a stroll around the city to look at decorations, make that a priority on your list and skip the parts that tend to be more stressful. A lot of times, holiday stress comes from feeling like you have to do everything – and often with people whose company you don’t even enjoy. So by letting your family know that you won’t be able to make it to every event this year, you’re more likely to be able to maintain your peace.

Remove yourself from stressful situations if possible

Don’t force yourself to stay at any holiday gathering for longer than you’re comfortable with – whether it’s a family member’s house or your aunt’s holiday party. It’s okay to make an appearance and then leave if you’re feeling overwhelmed or the day isn’t going according to plan. Make the holidays work on your terms, not the other way around.

If you’re feeling stressed out or overexcited, offer to help with tasks that will let you zone out or take some time away. For example, offer to peel potatoes for the mashed potatoes — it’s repetitive, task-oriented, and likely to be away from the action. Not only will it give you a moment away, but you’ll also get bonus points for helping. It’s a win-win.

Take some time for yourself every day, even if it’s just a few minutes

If you find yourself in the middle of a stressful situation, try to hit pause and take a moment to yourself. Go to the bathroom or outside for some fresh air, and splash cold water on your face or wrists. This will help slow down your heart rate and give you time to respond in a calm and collected way.

One way to help you stay calm and focused when things get overwhelming is to remember that you can always focus on your breath. If you start to feel overwhelmed, take some deep breaths and try to focus on the present moment. This will help you to clear your head and calm down. Deep breathing is basically the simplest and quickest way to chill out, and it’s backed by science.

Don’t try to do everything yourself – delegate tasks and ask for help when needed

Do you find yourself doing all the planning for your family? Buying groceries or gifts? Or standing in the kitchen alone amongst piles of dirty dishes? If you’re feeling totally overwhelmed, remember to speak up.

It’s OK to be clear and direct about what you need. If you need a break or some help, say so. And if you need to say no, go for it. Sometimes you may feel like you need to sacrifice the entirety of yourself for your family, but ultimately, you’ll feel better if you take care of yourself along the way.

Learn to say “No” and be cordial!

It’s okay to come to the realisation that you and your family might never see eye to eye. When that moment comes, instead of trying to win arguments during holiday visits, be cordial instead. This will help prevent any additional stress or tension between family members who might have opposing opinions or beliefs. Smile, remain calm, and keep in mind that you’ll be back in your own home soon enough!

If all else fails, you can always take a step back and observe what’s happening around you. When you learn to observe rather than engage, it can make a world of difference. If you don’t feel like running the show or being the center of attention, take some time to sit back and enjoy yourself. It’s not easy, but it’s important to do what makes you happy and not let anyone else control your emotions.

Holiday stress doesn’t have to get the best of you if you remember that it’s okay to let go of some traditions in order to focus on the ones that mean the most to you and your family. Instead of trying to do everything, pick a few key traditions and stick to them. Remember that some of the best holiday moments are the ones that happen spontaneously, so just relax and enjoy the chaos!

Get plenty of rest

It’s important to take care of yourself physically and mentally during the holiday season. Make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep in the days leading up to and during the holidays. Not only will quality rest help prevent crankiness and burnout, but it’ll also help you better process and cope with everything that’s going on. While the alcohol might be flowing, remember that it also dehydrates and can affect sleep, so limit the quantities and drink plenty of water.

Staying Resilient

Although you might feel like your family is the only one who goes off the deep end during the holidays, it’s important to remember that you’re definitely not alone. Almost everyone feels this way at times during the holiday season. It’s just part of life’s rich tapestry. Give thanks and feel grateful for the wonderful gift of family and give a thought for those that spend the holidays alone.

Wellbeing in a Changing Organisation

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What is Well-being?

Well-being is the feeling of being well and being able to take life in your stride. Gallup encapsulated the breakdown of wellbeing in their book “Wellbeing at Work”, breaking it down into 5 key aspects of wellbeing, that I believe, describe the different elements exceptionally well:

  • Career well-being: You like what you do every day.
  • Social well-being: You have meaningful friendships in your life.
  • Financial well-being: You manage your money well.
  • Physical well-being: You have the energy to get things done.
  • Community well-being: You like where you live.

Work is such a significant part of our lives that it is a fundamental pillar and the foundation for all others.

A cost of £117.9 billion

Mental health problems cost the UK economy at least £117.9 billion annually according to a report published today by the Mental Health Foundation and London School of Economics and Political Science in March 2022. The cost of mental health problems is around 5% of the UK’s GDP. The report, ‘The economic case for investing in the prevention of mental health conditions in the UK’, makes the case for a prevention-based approach to mental health which would improve mental well-being while reducing the economic costs of poor mental health.

This is just mental ill health. This excludes statistics on physical and emotional ill health.

How do you create wellbeing?

As a former corporate businesswoman, leadership trainer, and well-being consultant, I have extensive experience leading discussions on well-being and the negative impact of toxic work environments. It’s not uncommon for people to feel micromanaged by their boss, undervalued in their position, and generally unhappy with their job – even if it pays well. If you find yourself in this situation, it’s important to try and change things up or find a new job altogether. Life is too short to be unhappy with your career! The impact of all of this on your well-being is too high a cost!

For most people, there are danger signs that they ignore, before they get help for depression and stress. Pain is a common one, especially neck and back pain. Also, headaches, migraines, and fatigue are all very common too. This is often the time that they come along and see me, and it takes a while to get to the real root cause of the problems.

Of course, all this means that the individuals are taking the time off sick. No one can be productive if they feel unwell. Then someone has to pick up the slack and then they struggle with their wellbeing too. It is a vicious cycle!

How this is managed and how leadership creates the culture of the organisation at all levels, is the key to how you create wellbeing. It does not stop there though, wellbeing is the responsibility of everyone at all levels of the organsiation.

Leadership has a profound impact

Leadership has a profound impact on the well-being of their employees which in turn positively impacts productivity, company profitability, and stability. When employees feel valued and are able to contribute to the company in a meaningful way, they are more likely to remain loyal, and creative and be team players – all of which factors contribute to a positive customer journey. This is especially important during times of talent shortages, being seen as a company of choice that values its employees. It has to be about more than just profitability and productivity. There has to be genuine understanding and empathy too.

10 Key tips to Incorporating Well-being into your organisation

  1. Conduct a survey to assess how employees feel about the company approach to well-being currently
  2. Form a focus group with employees at all levels of the organisation.
  3. Lead it top-down and design it bottom-up. Make sure all levels of leadership are on board.
  4. Announce the strategy and associated initiatives to all employees and explain how it will support them.
  5. Ask for feedback and adapt as necessary.
  6. Have a review board to keep energy moving and ensure the initiative is adapted and kept current.
  7. Train people to be well-being champions.
  8. Develop Key performance indicators from current metrics measured in the organisation like absenteeism and productivity. Work very closely with HR.
  9. Train leaders and provide ongoing support
  10. Conduct a follow-up survey every 6-12 months and measure progress.

 

Brain Resilience Through Music

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 The importance of keeping the brain limber

brain resilienceWhen I took up the piano, little did I know the wonderful side effects! It is a great way to improve brain resilience! To keep our brains resilient we need to take care of our brain’s cognitive and emotional health.  Keep your brain healthy by stimulating it with activities that challenge it.

I took up the piano a few years ago. When I did so it was just for a bit of fun and enjoyment. I had dropped it as a child because the need for daily practice was too demanding. Several decades later I decided to give it another go. I’m still terrible and practicing, but I really enjoy the experience.

I am still only at grade 3 level, but I am determined to get to a standard in 2023, where I can sit and play some of my favourite pieces. One I am determined to play is Comptine D’Un Autre Ete by Yann Tierson. It is from the film Amelie. It is also one of my husband’s favourite pieces so I will learn how to play it for him. Now that is a great way to motivate progress! Goodness, I seem to be making new year resolutions already!

Why I keep up with learning the piano

Playing piano is particularly good because of the need to multi-task – reading and playing at the same time. Plus the need to be able to coordinate the left and the right hand with the different lines of music.

It creates strong brain activity in these areas and bridges the gap between the two hemispheres of the brain, increasing activity in various areas of the brain. Increasing the connections between different areas of the brain allows messages to cross through faster and via more diverse roots, improving problem-solving abilities and increasing their creativity. Of course this goes hand in hand with increased resilience.

The best part is that you don’t have to become a master pianist to take advantage of these unique benefits. Playing regularly for just five months at a beginner level at any age can induce positive changes in the structure of the brain, increasing IQ and making it easier to master skills used not just in front of the piano but throughout everyday life.

Here are some other ways to build brain resilience.

Ways to get your brain working harder and staying sharp longer.

Play Brain Games

Challenge your brain with mental puzzles, word games, and other puzzles. Switch up the challenge every day to keep your neurons firing. Perhaps learn a new subject. Expand your knowledge by learning something new. Whether it’s a new language, history, or science topic, keeping your brain active can help you retain information.

Make sure you remember to take brain breaks. Make time for yourself and take a break from work to do something that stimulates your mind. Go for a walk, read an interesting book, or take on a challenging Sudoku puzzle. I am sure you have experienced this; you try and try to come up with a solution to a problem, but nothing comes. You take and walk and think about something else and viola – problem solved.

Try some calming brain-boosting activities before bed. Get some zzzs by trying out some relaxation techniques, like deep breathing exercises or meditation.

Do you enjoy puzzles, board games, or other activities requiring coordination? Taking part in these activities regularly can keep your brain sharp.

Read Books

Whether you’re savoring a good novel or catching up on your favorite magazine, reading can help stimulate your brain. If you are reading a good novel, as tension is built in the story, more and more areas of the brain light up with activity.

A growing body of research indicates that reading literally changes your mind. Using MRI scans researchers have confirmed that reading involves a complex network of circuits and signals in the brain. As your reading ability matures, those networks also get stronger and more sophisticated.

In 2009 A US study found that 30 minutes of reading lowered blood pressure, heart rate, and feelings of psychological distress. The same study found that yoga and a good laugh also had the same beneficial effects.

Brain-Building Music

Listening to music that is stimulating and upbeat can help keep your brain active and learning. Find music that appeals to you and stick with it! Personally, I love to play Workout Pulse from my Amazon playlist. I use it when I am working out and when I am in the kitchen cooking.

Get Active

brain resilienceIt is a long-established fact that exercise is good for our bodies but what about brain resilience? The evidence is very clear – leading a physically active lifestyle provides benefits for overall health and wellbeing. Studies have repeatedly shown that people who are physically active throughout their lives have a lower-than-average risk of a decline in thinking skills with aging.

The same goes for ‘purposeful exercise’ – meaning exercise that involves moderate to vigorous exertion that we take deliberately. In randomised controlled trials, people who took part in purposeful exercise showed beneficial changes in brain structure and function.

So if you want to keep your mind sharp and your body healthy, make sure to incorporate physical activity into your day-to-day life, and make time for some purposeful exercise too! You will see noticeable changes in brain resilience in just 6-12 months.

Take Classes

brain resilienceClasses aren’t just a way to pass the time – they can actually help keep your brain active and sharp. If you’re interested in a new hobby or want to improve your job performance, taking classes is a great way to learn new things and keep your mind fresh. With so many options available, you’re sure to find a class that’s perfect for you.

Take Music Lessons

Not only is it fun, but also taking music lessons can keep your brain active and learning. Whether you chose something challenging where you have to coordinate both hands, whilst reading 2 lines of music or something a little more gentle is up to you. Of course, singing is equally rewarding. Another one of my favourite pastimes.

Dancing Lessons

Another great one for building brain resilience but also for building coordination. It also checks the boxes for taking new classes, learning something new, and getting active. An all-round win, win.

These tips will help you keep your brain limber so you can think clearly and problem-solve effectively for the rest of your life. I’m off to do some piano practice now.

Menopause – Natural VS HRT Part Two

Over the course of six blogs we are looking at Menopause. Why? Because so many women go through it, without understanding the changes, and how they can manifest. I was diagnosed with burnout back in 2011. I realise, with hindsight, that menopause was a major contributing factor to my symptoms and mental state. Are you in a similar situation? We can have a much better transition if we have a better understanding of menopause. We can learn to work with our bodies and find our personal path.

In this blog we’re talking about natural ways to deal with menopause vs HRT. We spoke to acupuncturist and Shiatsu practitioner, Dan Thompson for his experience with using acupuncture and Chinese medicine to manage symptoms.

What is HRT and Natural Therapy?

How much do you really know about treatment in menopause? It is safe to say that there is a lack of education when it comes to why, when and what different remedies we can use for managing menopause symptoms. Menopause tends to blindside women when it hits because they know very little about it. So what is HRT? HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) simply replaces the oestrogen and progesterone that our bodies are no longer producing so much of with synthetic substitutes. It’s best known for managing hot flushes, night sweats and mood swings. There are many forms of HRT such as tablets, skin patches or gel. These can only be prescribed by a doctor.

However, according to the Women’s Health Concern (the patient arm of the British Menopause Society) 95% of women would rather try natural alternatives over taking HRT. Although not risk free, it is most likely because there are fewer risks involved in natural treatment. It could also be that as menopause is a natural process, women like to get through it with natural or alternative medicine. Natural remedies do not replace hormones like HRT does. It relieve symptoms by balancing the hormones at their new lower level. Types of natural medicines for managing menopause symptoms include Herbalism, Chinese Medicine, Homeopathy, Ayurveda and Naturopathy.

How do people feel about HRT?

The main concerns women have surrounding HRT are the risks and side effects that could possibly derive from it. Side effects can be anything from migraines to weight gain. The newer bio-identical hormones delivered through creams and patches are gentler on the system. It can take a little while to find the right dosage for an individual.  How your body reacts to it is important when deciding whether to carry on with the treatment.

When deciding to go down the path of HRT, a GP will take into consideration a persons medical history, such as high blood pressure, blood clots, liver disease and previously having or being at high risk of breast cancer. Although a very rare occurrence, HRT has been linked to women developing breast cancer.

Women who take HRT for more than 1 year have a higher risk of breast cancer than women who never use HRT. The risk is linked to all types of HRT except vaginal oestrogen. “The increased risk of breast cancer falls after you stop taking HRT, but some increased risk remains for more than 10 years compared to women who have never used HRT”. For Further information in this area see the link about HRT on this NHS Website.

Many women are scared off by these risks. But with good professional advice it can be a solution to managing menopause symptoms. HRT is a generalised medication. A single solution for a possible 49 different symptoms. It is not tailored to the individual, meaning that it may help some symptoms and not others.

Are there risks in natural therapy?

Just like HRT, natural medicine can be very hit and miss without professional guidance. While many women opt for natural solutions to manage symptoms, it could take some trial and error to find exactly what it is we need. How many of you have turned to google when looking? Who has self-prescribed evening primrose oil or  some herbal remedies? However, what works for one woman may not work for another. Ultimately, so much trial and error could ultimately end up making symptoms worse or lead to women giving up and turning to HRT. For instance, there are 551 possible homeopathic medicines for hot flushes alone. Finding the right one involves a complex case-taking process by a professional homeopath.

Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine

Acupuncturist Dan Thompson told us that he sees many women turning to Acupuncture and Chinese medicine to manage perimenopausal symptoms. Hot flushes, fatigue and irregular periods are just some of the many symptoms that people use Acupuncture for. It is a practice in which thin needles are placed in certain points of the body for a number of beneficial effects. Acupuncture is about stimulating the right pressure points with needles based on symptoms or diagnosis.

In Chinese medicine, the general aging of both men and women can be referred to as ‘Kidney Yin Deficiency’. Certain symptoms may also present as a depletion of Kidney essence. According to the Yin/Yang principles, Yin encourages the cooling process and Yang provides the warming function. Both Yin and Yang play a significant part in health, therefore diagnosing and treating signs and symptoms is prevalent in menopause. Stress and aging can cause disharmonies and depletion of our yin which can induce symptoms like insomnia leading up to menopause. Through this important stage of life, both yin and yang need nourishment to maintain a healthy balance of all symptoms during the menopause.

Why should we use them?

Our bodies and hormones are in a natural state of flux throughout the aging process. Symptoms will present themselves because menopause is a natural process. We have to go through it regardless! Managing naturally might come with a sense of accomplishment. But it is important to look after yourself with nutrition and exercise too. We have to adapt our health and lifestyle habits as we get older. The needs of our bodies change so it is important to change with it. So using different management methods that suit our individual experience with menopause is really good for us.

We should also keep in mind that symptoms are not just physical! Emotional symptoms such as anxiety and depression can also be associated during this time. Managing emotional health goes hand in hand with looking after our physical health. One of the goals of using Acupuncture and Chinese medicine is to regulate hormones and reduce excess symptoms. Utilising all of these natural therapies to treat menopausal symptoms creates a healthy balance physically and within our mind.

Thank you to Dan Thompson from Southend Acupuncture for sharing his expertise with us. If you would like to know more about acupuncture and Chinese medicine, you can visit Dan’s website or contact him here.

Next week we will be looking at menopause from a scientific point of view.

Menopause – Natural VS HRT Part One

Over the course of six blogs we are looking at Menopause. Why? Because so many women go through it, without understanding the changes, and how they can manifest. I was diagnosed with burnout back in 2011. I realise, with hindsight, that menopause was a major contributing factor to my symptoms and mental state. Are you in a similar situation? We can have a much better transition if we have a better understanding of menopause. We can learn to work with our bodies and find our personal path.

In this blog we’re talking about natural ways to deal with menopause vs HRT. We spoke to natural menopause expert Sarah Davison.

What is HRT and Natural Therapy?

How much do you really know about treatment in menopause? It is safe to say that there is a lack of education when it comes to why, when and what different remedies we can use for managing menopause symptoms. Menopause tends to blindside women when it hits because they know very little about it. So what is HRT? HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) simply replaces the oestrogen and progesterone that our bodies are no longer producing so much of with synthetic substitutes. It’s best known for managing hot flushes, night sweats and mood swings. There are many forms of HRT such as tablets, skin patches or gel. These can only be prescribed by a doctor.

 

However, according to the Women’s Health Concern (the patient arm of the British Menopause Society) 95% of women would rather try natural alternatives over taking HRT. Although not risk free, it is most likely because there are fewer risks involved in natural treatment. It could also be that as menopause is a natural process, women like to get through it with natural or alternative medicine. Natural remedies do not replace hormones like HRT does, but instead relieve symptoms by balancing the hormones at their new lower level. Types of natural medicines for managing menopause symptoms include Herbalism, Chinese Medicine, Homeopathy, Ayurveda and Naturopathy.

How do people feel about HRT?

The main concerns women have surrounding HRT are the risks and side effects that could possibly derive from it. Side effects can be anything from migraines to weight gain, thought the newer bio-identical hormones delivered through creams and patches are gentler on the system. It can take a little while to find the right dosage for an individual.  How your body reacts to it is important when deciding whether to carry on with the treatment.

When deciding to go down the path of HRT, a GP will take into consideration a persons medical history, such as high blood pressure, blood clots, liver disease and previously having or being at high risk of breast cancer. Although a very rare occurrence, HRT has been linked to women developing breast cancer. Many women are scared off by these risks, but with good professional advice it can be a solution to managing menopause symptoms. HRT is a generalised medication. A single solution for a possible 49 different symptoms. It is not tailored to the individual, meaning that it may help some symptoms and not others.

Are there risks in natural therapy?

Just like HRT, natural medicine can be very hit and miss without professional guidance. While many women opt for natural solutions to manage symptoms, it could take some trial and error to find exactly what it is we need. How many of you have turned to google when looking? Who has self-prescribed evening primrose oil or  some herbal remedies? However, what works for one woman may not work for another, and so much trial and error could ultimately end up making symptoms worse or lead to women giving up and turning to HRT. For instance, there are 551 possible homeopathic medicines for hot flushes alone. Finding the right one involves a complex case-taking process by a professional homeopath.

A professional practitioner can help you find the right solution for your symptoms. Sarah offers a deeper look into homeopathy for menopause on her website, which you can access here. https://thrivehomeopathy.com/homeopathy-for-menopause/

Unfortunately I had not met Sarah when I started with my perimenopausal symptoms. I did not try over-the-counter medication. I went to Neal’s Yard in London, and they put together a herbal remedy for me, based on my symptoms. Not quite as tailored as Sarah’s offering, but I was lucky, it helped me manage my hot flushes. And when they came back, following and oophorectomy, I consulted with Sarah who dealt with them homoeopathically.

The importance of the liver in menopause

Another thing we must take into consideration when looking to treat menopausal symptoms is the function and state of our other organs. Menopause symptoms are not always caused by a drop in sex hormones, some can be caused by issues with tired adrenal glands (which produce our stress hormones), a congested liver, a low thyroid or an unhappy gut.

The liver is something that can greatly affect the way our bodies function during menopause. For example, if someone has spent their life not looking after their liver, perhaps consuming too much alcohol and sugar, then it can cause issues such as fatty liver. The liver gets rid of old oestrogen, it’s like the dustbin of the body. If it is not working properly, then it will retain that old oestrogen and exacerbate the hormonal imbalance, making symptoms harder to manage. This is why seeing a professional, perhaps a homeopath like Sarah, is really beneficial towards managing menopause properly.

There are pros and cons to both conventional and alternative treatment, and the different options each one offers. Being educated and informed is vital to making the right decision for our own bodies. We don’t need to suffer!

Thank you to Sarah Davison for the contribution and information. Sarah can be reached at thrivehomeopathy.com.

Sarah offers a free perimenopause assessment that allows you to check how many of the 49 possible symptoms you have. Click here to take the assessment. You do not have to suffer alone! You can also follow her on social media at @naturalmenopauseexpert

Next time we will be looking at menopause from an acupuncturists point of view.

Menopause and Stress

Over the course of six blogs we are looking at Menopause. Why? Because so many women go through it, without understanding the changes, and how they can manifest. I was diagnosed with burnout back in 2011. I realise, with hindsight, that menopause was a major contributing factor to my symptoms and mental state. Are you in a similar situation? You can have a much better transition if you have a better understanding of menopause. You can learn to work with your body and find our personal path. I wish I knew then what I know now, and I wish I had met Sarah when I first started experiencing symptoms. My experience would have been very different. Your experience, if you are not post menopause already, still can be.

How should we deal with stress during menopause and what are the effects it has on symptoms? We spoke to natural menopause expert Sarah Davison to understand what menopause is, how to prepare for it and how to manage symptoms.

Why is menopause so stressful?

Menopause can be a very stressful time in a womans life. Coping with all of these mental, emotional and physical changes is difficult enough. It is not just the transition through menopause that is stressful. Menopause comes at a time in your life when you have a lot of stress for other reasons.

At the age when menopause hits there are also a lot of other factors contributing to how we deal with it.  Women do it all. We have children, raise them and care for them. We have to deal with the stress and loss of them leaving home when the time comes. Some women have children later on in life, so can you imagine dealing with young children and perimenopause at the same time? Another responsibility that seems to naturally fall on women at this age besides looking after children, is the possibility of looking after sick or dying parents or relatives. As you could imagine, or even have experienced, all of these responsibilities weighing on you can be overwhelming. Especially if you’re trying to balance work too!

Did you know that certain other organs besides the reproduction ones also have a part to play in menopause? As your ovaries are slowing down the production of progesterone and oestrogen, your adrenal glands (that produce the stress hormones) take over and produce those hormones. Your body is designed for survival, and will always put that first above anything else. This means that while your adrenal glands are producing a lot of stress hormones they can’t produce a sufficient amount of sex hormones.

So there is an overlap between symptoms of adrenal fatigue, which results from chronic stress, and symptoms of perimenopause. Such as exhaustion, depression, weight gain, insomnia, low sex drive, digestion problems and back pain.

Managing stress

There are plenty of ways to manage stress, even in menopause, such as simple breathing exercises or meditation. It’s also a good idea to make sure your body is getting the right nutrition. This is different for everyone. Find a nutritional specialist if you need help finding out what is right for you. Perhaps monitor how much sugar you are consuming, and get a sufficient amount of protein.

Exercise is a great way to reduce stress. However, if you overdo exercise you can release too much cortisol. Hard exercise is not for those with adrenal fatigue – it will make it and your menopause symptoms worse! Everything in moderation. Go for moderate exercise. Make sure you do something you love too. It can be a nice walk, a bit of gardening,  or maybe dancing is more you groove? Anything that gets you moving on a regular basis.

Thank you to Sarah Davison for the contribution and information. Sarah can be reached at thrivehomeopathy.com.

Sarah offers a free perimenopause assessment that allow you to check how many of the 49 possible symptoms you have. Click here to take the assessment. You do not have to suffer alone!

Over the next few weeks we will be exploring the other elements of menopause.

  • Taboo and Ignorance
  • Natural VS HRT
  • Menopause in the Workplace
  • The Hidden Gift of Menopause

Menopause – Taboo and Ignorance

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Why are we talking about menopause

Over the course of six blogs we are looking at Menopause. Why? Because so many women go through it, without understanding the changes, and how they can manifest. I was diagnosed with burnout back in 2011. I realise, with hindsight, that menopause was a major contributing factor to my symptoms and mental state. Are you in a similar situation? We can have a much better transition if we have a better understanding of menopause. We can learn to work with our bodies and find our personal path.

Why is the menopause such a taboo subject? Is it the lack of accessible education and information, albeit that there is an abundance of information if we look online? We spoke to natural menopause expert Sarah Davison to understand what menopause is, how to prepare for it and how to manage symptoms.

Stigma

There has always been somewhat of a stigma around talking about women’s bodies, and even more so when it comes to menopause. Perhaps, in a modern world, certainly in western civilisation, everyone strives to hold on to youth and no one wants to talk about aging. The word alone can be fear inducing to women, and even more so to men!

I was watching Breeders on TV the other day, and this was illustrated so beautifully. (Warning spoiler alert if you have not finished watching the series yet!) Ally, the main character is 42 and thinks she is pregnant. She is not sure she really wants another baby. She goes to see the doctor, only to find out that she is perimenopausal, which can give a false positive on a pregnancy test. Ally says she feels like an empty husk, mourning the baby that will unlikely never be born. She becomes depressed and start behaving erratically. It’s an important stage of our lives as women. We need information before we hit menopause, so that we understand what is happening and how to deal with it. What are our choices? We will talk a about treatment in more depth in a later blog.

Ignorance in the workplace

It is estimated that around 13 million women in the UK are currently going through the menopause at any given time. Around 80% will be in work. 81% of women have noticeable menopause symptoms. That means around 8.4 million women are dealing with symptoms while working! Employers should start thinking about providing help and support to employees as they go through menopause. It is not just women that need education and information but everyone around them too. Some women do not even know that they are experiencing menopausal symptoms. In our experience many, if not all women feel like they are unable to talk about menopause at work. The taboo needs to be broken!

Hot flush?

Have you ever sat in a meeting having a hot flush and a colleague said something about you looking embarrassed or made a funny comment about heat? I have experienced exactly that! This is why more education is required in the workplace, to help others comprehend some of the symptoms and be more understanding and supportive. I learned to make a joke before anyone else could comment, but I should not have had to do that.

Symptoms

There can be many symptoms during menopause. Some of those symptoms can include anxiety, stress and physical and cognitive symptoms that can interfere with our ability to work. For me it was hot flushes, feeling like I had an axe through my head and going to get something and then forgetting what it was I had gone to get, or forgetting a name or a word. Perhaps, if we had more information at a younger age, it would give us time to prepare. Even the medical profession needs more education. My GP did not even consider or discuss the possibility that I could be experiencing symptoms of menopause when I was diagnosed with burn out. While it might not have been the full story it was certainly a contributing factor.

Why don’t we talk about it?

There is a massive lack of knowledge and misinformation surrounding menopause. Women are unlikely to be given literature about it. Completely uneducated and unprepared, most women end up doing their own research to find more information. For instance, we get education around periods, pregnancy and the pill, so why not later life stages?

Clinically Speaking

Clinically speaking, the menopause is just one day. The day that falls a year after you had your last period. Did you know that? For around 2-14 years, women may have what is called perimenopause symptoms. Did you know there are as many as 49 possible symptoms you may experience? With the millennial generation now hitting 40 they are going into perimenopause without even knowing or recognising the symptoms. Perhaps you can help them by sharing this post!

Thank you to Sarah Davidson for the contribution and information. Sarah can be reached at thrivehomeopathy.com.

Sarah offers a free perimenopause assessment that allow you to check how many of the 49 possible symptoms you have. Click here to take the assessment. You do not have to suffer alone!

Over the next few weeks, we will be exploring the other elements of menopause.

  • Stress
  • Natural VS HRT
  • Menopause in the Workplace
  • The Hidden Gift of Menopause

What to Do When Life Throws You a Curveball

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What is a curveball?

A curveball is one of those times when everything is going well, and then all of a sudden, something unexpected happens. Not the happy kind of something either, one of those things that really knocks you off balance and was completely unexpected. This is exactly what happened to me recently. Not one but three, in quick succession, and they were both major and really threw me. Two seriously impacted my business and one was a health scare that had me in A&E.

Life can be like that though! Everything is going great and then you just have one of those months where nothing falls into place and everything feels wrong. It is called Life!

Knowing that I needed to take a step back and see what I needed to do to maintain my sanity and my business, I did just that. This is one of the keys to Real Resilience. Noticing when you are experiencing the stress response and doing something about it.

What to do when life gets difficult and stressful

Step 1

The first question I asked myself was, what do I need to do for my business and myself to stay resilient and not collapse under pressure?

Looking after my health and that of my employees is always my first priority. Making sure that I have the headspace and the personal space to think about what is happening. Then I can formulate a plan and think about what needs to be done to manage the various situations.

The first curve ball also felt quite personal, so it was really important to manage my mindset and stay positive. I did some deep breathing and got my brain and body out of panic mode.

Like most people, in stressful situations, I feel stressed when they have just happened. However, I notice my stress responses almost instantly and immediately start following the process to get back to balance.

Deep breathing sends the right signals to the brain to turn off flight or flight mode. You cannot think straight when you are in fight or flight, the body shuts down to only be able to manage essential body functions. Thinking rationally is not one of them. Such a simple step but so critical to maintaining Real Resilience.

Step 2

The next process I go through to manage whatever curveball has been thrown is a bit of root cause analysis. Basically, what I wanted to know was why these things had happened, and could I have done anything to avoid them?

For the first situation, I realised that my communication around expectations could have been more detailed. This was really good information to have. It meant that this was situation I could avoid in the future. While it did not resolve my current issue it was still a great lesson learned that would help me in the future. I am comfortable with making mistakes and learning from them, it is how we grow and develop as leaders.

For the second curveball, I understood that there really was nothing I could have done differently. It really was an unexpected situation. However I could make sure that I had all the correct processes and procedures in place to manage the situation. A quick call to my HR legal go-to person confirmed I had followed all the right steps and had all the right things in place. So the question now was, what could I do to minimise the impact on my business and not keel over with extra work myself? What was my Plan B?

Now I felt like I was in control and taking action. While I could not throw back the curve balls by having a plan and lessons learned, I still felt I was in control. This was a really important step. So often when we feel fear, anxiety, or want to resist change, it is because we feel we have zero control. That is a very uncomfortable place to be. However it can be a great place for learning and changing things around. Streamlining and coming up with new ideas. Never miss the opportunity to catch a curve ball.

While I could not avoid the situation, I could definitely take ownership of my response. Then I could make a plan and take action which put me back in control and able to move forwards.

So how could you apply this to your business or personal situations? What is keeping you up at night?

Take these simple steps.

  • Breathe.
  • Manage your mindset.
  • Carry out root cause analysis.
  • Plan alternatives,
  • Take positive action.

If you have employees resistant to change, you can also apply this process. People resist change because they’re out of their comfort zone and feel like they have no control. Talking to them, explaining things, getting them involved in the way forward. Can often resolve resistance.

Step 3

Personal health care. So after being in A&E and finding out I might have gallstones I immediately researched what I could do to manage the pain. A quick trip to my go-to acupuncturist and I feel much better. I have to go through a few more tests and will have to change my diet for a while. There is a silver lining though – weight loss. I’m sure this topic will be the subject of a future blog.

Does Real Resilience Stop Life Being a Stress?

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    In a nutshell no!

If you are looking for stress management techniques to stop stressful events from happening, then sorry, you are in the wrong place! The utility bills will still go up in October and the cost of living will continue to rise. So how do some people manage to take stress in their stride and others cannot? Essentially it is a matter of perception. What I consider to be stressful, you might be absolutely fine with it. And vice versa of course. A lot of the feelings of stress come from feeling out of control like life is happening to us. Feelings of insecurity, lack of options, and feeling overwhelmed are very common.

However, you will be glad to know that all of these feelings are totally normal. When you are under stress you go to our overextended place. You might find things more overwhelming than on a usual day. Or perhaps you might feel more emotional than normal. Again, all totally normal reactions. These are the warning signs to our body that you are feeling stressed. The good thing about having the warning signs is that it is our indicator of stress and now you can do something about it.

There are many signs that a person may be experiencing prolonged stress too. Some common physical signs include tense muscles, headaches, and upset stomach. A person may also experience difficulty sleeping, moodiness, and anxiety. If stress is not managed, it can lead to more serious health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and mental health disorders. It is important to identify the signs of stress so that you can take steps to manage it.

However, let’s look at managing stress “in the moment”. That instant you experience those feelings of how you personally respond to stress.

It is how we respond to stress that is important

So you realise you are stressed. What do you do next? You can fall into a puddle of tears and be angry at the world or you can respond differently.

There are many different ways that people deal with stress. Some people try to ignore it and push through, while others may take a more proactive approach and try to find healthy coping mechanisms. Some helpful tips for dealing with stress include exercise, journaling, relaxation techniques, and spending time with supportive people.

It is important to find what works best for you when it comes to dealing with stress. For some people, exercise is a great way to release tension and clear their mind. Others may find journaling to be helpful in getting their thoughts and feelings out. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing can also be very beneficial. Lastly, spending time with supportive people can help you to feel less alone and can provide a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on.

No matter what method you choose, it is important to be gentle with yourself and to remember that stress is a normal part of life. Try to find healthy coping mechanisms that work for you so that you can better deal with the stressors in your life.

If nothing else, a few deep breaths send signals to the brain to calm down and it will help you feel instantly better.

Mindset is also massively important for helping with stress

It has been said that the best way to achieve success is to have a positive mindset. This means believing in yourself and your ability to achieve your goals. It also means maintaining a positive attitude toward the challenges and obstacles you may face along the way.

There is a lot of truth to this statement. A positive mindset can be a powerful tool for achieving success. It can help you stay motivated and focused on your goals, and it can give you the strength to overcome any obstacles you may encounter.

If you want to achieve success, it is important to develop a positive mindset. Believe in yourself and your ability to achieve your goals. Stay positive and focused, and you will be able to achieve anything you set your mind to.

So actually “yes”, maybe it can help with life feeling less stressful?

Why do I conclude with the possibility that Real Resilience can stop life from being so stressful? Because if you manage your stress levels and go do something else, at that moment, it changes how you feel. The stress levels subside and you feel more able to cope. Does it change what is happening around you? No! Does it change how you feel about it? Absolutely!

 

Uncertainty Part 4 of 4 – Managing Ambiguity

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Managing Ambiguity

Why is uncertainty and managing ambiguity stressful? Uncertainty is stressful because of the fact that it is the unknown. The only certainty is that life is uncertain! That’s probably a phrase that you have heard more than once, specially recently. We all know it, but do we truly believe it? Do we strive to control the uncontrollable and how can we feel in control in uncertain times?

This time we are looking specifically at managing ambiguity. You may have hard of VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity). While the focus of all the recent blogs is on uncertainty, ambiguity is an equally important. If something is ambiguous it means having more than one possible meaning, and therefore possibly causing confusion. The less information the we have, the more irrational and erratic our decisions become. As the uncertainty of the scenarios increased, the more our brains shift control over to the limbic system, the place where emotions, such as anxiety and fear, are generated.

How can we manage ambiguity?

When faced with uncertainty, our brain is pushing us to overreact and fall back on that limbic system. To conquer this you need to develop emotional intelligence or emotional quotion (EQ) to manage ambiguity. To improve your EQ you have to become good at making decisions in the face of uncertainty, despite our every instinct telling us not to. As we mentioned before, having a lack of, or conflicting information can force us to make poor, ill-concieved decisions, so fighting that is very important when facing abiguity.

It may seem impossible when your judgment is clouded by your emotions, however there are some proven strategies which can help you overcome this. Your first effort would be to quiet the limbic system and manage stress, and there are a few ways to do this; inner smile breath, tactical breathing and body reset. I will show you how to execute these instant stress relievers here.

Other proven strategies you can use to improve your EQ are:

  • Quiet the limbic system – manage stress
  • Admit what you don’t know and then get back to people when you do
  • Stay positive. Take a look at Uncertainty blog 3 where we talk about mindset
  • Embrace and accept what you can’t control, focus on what you can control
  • Decide on and focus on what matters
  • Let go of perfection
  • Have contingency, always have a plan B
  • Let go of the past, take the lessons forward and let go of the emotion
  • Breathe!

This blog has been all about managing ambiguity. See my other blogs about uncertainty. Just click the links below.

How HIIT Helped Me Build Real Resilience

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What is High-Intensity Interval Training – HIIT

HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training. It is a type of exercise that alternates between short periods of intense activity and brief periods of rest or recovery. HIIT is performed with various types of equipment or no equipment at all.

It is an effective way to burn calories and improve cardiovascular fitness. Studies have shown that HIIT can help to improve insulin sensitivity, increase VO2 max (the maximum amount of oxygen that your body can utilize), and reduce body fat.

It is a great option for those who are short on time, as it is a very efficient way to exercise. HIIT workouts can be as short as 10 minutes, making them perfect for busy people.

Why I started HIIT

I signed up for the Fast 800 programme last year. It introduced me to different exercise techniques, including HIIT. I loved the idea of being able to improve my cardio-vascular fitness, as well as work on reducing my visceral fat. HIIT is scientifically proven to reduce visceral fat. It can also:

  • Efficiently burn calories, HIIT burns 25-30% more calories than other forms of exercise
  • Increase fat loss
  • Increase metabolism
  • Reduces blood sugar and improves insulin resistance
  • Reduces blood pressure

An absolute win-win right? That is what I figured too. As well as all that it only takes me 15 minutes twice a week. I can run, cycle, swim, or do things like squats and star jumps so I can even keep up with my training when I am not at home.

I have noticed a massive improvement in my lung capacity. Having had to run upstairs for the train the other day, and hopped on without even puffing. So it has definitely fulfilled the desire to improve my cardio-vascular fitness. I started running on the treadmill an 8kmph and now I run at 9.5kmph, so I have increased my speed too. Now I have more energy than I have had in ages. (Being diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2012 and now have no symptoms at all). Loving the endorphins and serotonin high too.  Endorphins and serotonin are important chemicals known as neurotransmitters. They affect your mood, energy levels and overall wellbeing.

HIIT builds Real Resilience

However, here is the added benefit that I did not expect. Commonly called the runners high from the endorphin and serotonin production I had already experienced to a degree. Having walked, swum, and done weight training since my teens. I found that the high lasted longer with HIIT. The really important piece was the exercise itself though.

Never having really been a runner, for some reason I decided this was the easiest way to do HIIT. On the treadmill! It started more of a lumber than a run. It very quickly pushed me out of what was comfortable and what I thought was doable.  However, with Dr. Michael Moseley’s encouraging words in my ear (listening on my phone to the recorded sessions), I pushed past my thresholds again and again. Each week the exercises pushed me further and for longer. Less walking, more running each week. Each time I listened and pushed. I believed I could do it. Each week I managed to do more.

Then one day I realised what else it had trained me to do. It got me comfortable with pushing past my comfort zone. In doing so it increased my ability to embrace change and grow my own Real Resilience. It was a particularly stressful day and I was taking it in my stride. All my plans were upended. I had to pivot and rethink my day. I was absolutely fine, I embraced change even more than normal. Because I was used to pushing out of my comfort zone I was comfortable with change.

Look out for the next blog which will be delving more into the comfort zone. Is it our friend or foe?

Why not try it for yourself?

Joining the fast 800 taught me a lot and a special thanks to Dr. Michael Mosley and the fast 800 team, for all the inspiration. Here is the link. You might want to give it a try.

The Fast 800 » By Dr Michael Mosley – The Fast 800

I am not affiliated with the programme in any way. Just a very grateful member of the community. I have learned so much about nutrition and exercise and found what works for me.

 

 

Uncertainty Part 3 of 4 – Mindset

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Mindset

Why is uncertainty stressful? Uncertainty is stressful because of the fact that it is the unknown. The only certainty is that life is uncertain! That’s probably a phrase that you have heard more than once, specially recently. We all know it, but do we truly believe it? Do we strive to control the uncontrollable and how can we feel in control in uncertain times?

What is a mindset?

Your mindset is the way you think or perceive things, your outlook on life and yourself. It’s your general attitude to what shapes your thought habits, and these habits consequently impact the way you make sense of the world and how you think about you. Having a positive mindset is extremely important when it comes to stress and uncertainty.

Not everybody’s mindset is the same. What you might personally find stressful, someone else might not. It might be a good idea to look to other people in times of stress to see how they would perceive it. How would they deal with it? Why don’t they find it stressful? Be influenced by other people’s mindsets to change your perspective!

Developing a positive mindset

  • Change your perspective – speak to colleagues or friends, use their experiences and mindset to change your own.
  • Get rid of any negative self talk – what are the negative things you are telling yourself and how can you change them?
  • Develop a positive attutide

Take this peom for example. Read it through.

 

Now read it with the lines from bottom to top. You see how important words are and how they make you feel? How changing the words can change your mindset?

Developing a positive attitude stress

Stop catastrophising – are you turning something into an “end of the world” situation? Think of the last time you were worried. Did the thing you were worried about happen? If it did was it as bad as you thought? Probably not. We can have a tendency to blow things out of proportion and put unnecessary strain on oursleves. All you end up doing is adding to your stress.

Is there any part of the situation you can control? If there is do what you can to manage the situation in the best way possible. Focus on what is in your area of control and responsibility. Learn to let go of the things out of your control.

Change those negative thoughts into something positive. Focus on where you hear the voice. Put your hand in that location. You may feel it in your body or close to it. Now see if you recognise the voice. IS it your voice or that of someone you know?  Now change it to a really silly voice, like Donald Duck or something and move it away from you.  Can you still take yourself seriously?  Of course not.  Now use that technique whenever you notice that unhelpful self criticism creeping back in.

Positive affirmations can reinforce a positive image of yourself. Ask yourself what are you good at? What dare you doing well at the moment in your job or otherwise? What happens in your mind is reflected on your body. So feeling grateful for what you have at uncertain times and reminding yourself about the good things is a step forward to gaining some control over yourself and your situation, especially when you’re feeling anxious or uncertain about things.

This blog has been all about mindset. See my other blogs about uncertainty.

Uncertainty and Stress – Part 2 of 4

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Reduce Stress

Why does uncertainty cause stress? Uncertainty causes stress because of the fact that it is the unknown. The only certainty is that life is uncertain! That’s probably a phrase that you have heard more than once, specially recently. We all know it, but do we truly believe it? Do we strive to control the uncontrollable and how can we feel in control in uncertain times?

The key to making changes is to first recognise that we are feeling stressed. Keeping a journal can really help. By writing down the information surrounding a stressful event we get clarity and understanding around what made it stressful for us.

Keep a journal and note:

  • Triggers – what happened
  • Behaviours – how did you react both physically and mentally
  • Circumstances – surrounding the event
  • Note physical signs of stress

If writing is not something you enjoy a text or recorded note on your smart phone will work equally well.

Short Term Strategies

The best thing you can the minute you are aware that you feel stressed is to take some good deep breaths deep into your belly. Remembers Primatives Amn’s Response to Stress for Part 1? Takeing a deep breath sends messages to the brain that there is nothing to worry about. It tells your body to start resetting, which can take up to an hour. When you are stuck in fight or flight mode you physically cannot take a deep breath because everything is tense, so the body knows that, the fact you can take a deep breath, everything is resolvable.

For some ideas on breathing and other exercises please do take a look at this video.

Longer Term Strategies

It is useful to challenge your thoughts and remind yourself of other times when things have worked out ok or when the things you have been worried about have not come to pass.

Think of the situation that you are finding stressful:

  • What signs might you be aware of?
    • Interrupted sleep patterns
    • Feeling on edge
    • Feeling inexplicably angry or tearful for example
  • What changes could you make?
    • Physical changes like breathing deeply
    • Mindset changes – we will cover more about those in part 3
  • What would be the consequences of the changes?
    • How might the changes help you feel more resourceful?

It is useful to refer to your journal notes when thinking this through and write down your answers to the above questions. I am sure you know the saying “Do what you have always done and you will get what you have always got!” So do something differently, make a change and you will change the outcome.

In other words change your behaviour!

This blog has been all about reducing stress. See my other blogs about uncertainty.

Uncertainty and Stress – Part 1

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Why is Uncertainty Stressful?

Why is uncertainty stressful? Uncertainty is stressful because of the fact that it is the unknown. The only certainty is that life is uncertain! That’s probably a phrase that you have heard more than once, specially recently. We all know it, but do we truly believe it? Do we strive to control the uncontrollable and how can we feel in control in uncertain times?

Firstly a Note on Stress

Definition of stress

Stress is the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demands placed on them.  It arises when they perceive that they are unable to cope with those demands.  It is not a disease, but if stress is intense and goes on for some time, it can lead to mental or physical ill health, EG; depression, nervous breakdown, heart disease or other physical ailments.*

What is Pressure?

Pressure is often used interchangeably with stress but actually the two words have quite different meanings.  Pressure is in fact a positive aspect of life and work for most people. Many of us need to have standards, targets and deadlines to push us towards good performance. Pressure is what most people feel as the need to perform – and everyone has an optimum level of pressure that brings about their best performance. It can be seen as pressure when you feel that it is achievable. You might have to work hard, take some risks, challenge yourself, change or accept new things – but it is manageable. You feel a level of control over the situation.

Of course what feels like pressure for one person can feel like stress to another.  Too much and you can burn out, not enough and you can rust out!

In other words, pressure is good, stress is bad!

Our brains give us fits when facing uncertainty because they’re wired to react to it with fear because it is unknown and uncontrollable. When this happens our bodies go into the stress response. We need engage the rational brain to reduce stress and convince ourselves that uncertainty is normal and manageable. Our stress response is hard wired into our bodies.

Primitive Man’s Response to Stress

Why uncertainty is stressful

  • The front of the brain receives stimulus from eyes, ears etc.- aware of danger.
  • The hypothalamus of the brain activates.
  • The pituitary gland releases hormones.
  • The involuntary nervous system sends signals via nerves to various parts of the body.
  • This causes the adrenal glands to release hormones; adrenalin, nor-adrenalin and cortisones.

These lead to the other changes:

  • Mentally alert – senses activated.
  • Breathing rate speeds up –nostrils and air passages in lungs open wider to get air in more quickly.
  • Heartbeat speeds up and blood pressure rises.
  • Liver releases sugar, cholesterol and fatty acids into the blood to supply quick energy to the muscles.
  • Sweating it increases to help cool if the body.
  • Blood clotting ability increases, preparing for possible injury.
  • Muscles of bladder and bowel openings contract and non-lifesaving activity of body systems ceases temporarily.
  • Blood is diverted to the muscles and muscle fibres tense ready for action.
  • Immunity responses decrease. This is useful in short term to allow a massive response by body. It is harmful over a long period.

The “fight or flight” response is easily recognized in a fear provoking situation. This is how the body goes into lifesaving mode.  Very appropriate for primitive man, but what about humans today, living in this always on culture and the uncertainty of the current pandemic?

This blog has been all about setting the scene and understanding why uncertainty is so stressful. See my other blogs about uncertainty.

Supporting Employees Through Uncertainty

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With the current Covid-19 Pandemic, life is more uncertain than ever before, especially for employees. So what can you, the employer do, to support employees during this uncertain time? It’s all about embracing uncertainty.

I was listening to the BBC news the other week. I was particularly drawn to a story about a bakery that had managed to reopen, even with the 2 metre distancing rules.  They had one major challenge. One area of production required two people to be working in close proximity at all times.  Management couldn’t come up with a solution to this problem.

Overcoming Challenges

What did they do?  They asked their employees to get creative and think of ways round the problem, so that they could reopen.

The solution: A husband and wife worked for the company in different areas of the business. They lived together so the social distancing did not apply. They were happy manage that particular part of the production on a temporary basis. Problem solved!

Engage with Employees

In these challenging times, many companies are facing a restructure or administration. As a leader, you may feel solutions have to come from the top. Perhaps telling employees just how uncertain the future of the company is, might make them anxious or stressed. You want to protect them. That is understandable.

In reality they are probably already worried about the future. Lack of communication usually leads to speculation and greater levels of anxiety and stress. Recognise that it is a difficult time and encourage employees to think about what “surviving-well” might look like.

Be honest and consistent with them. Tell them exactly what you do and don’t know. Tell them what the organisation is struggling with. Facilitate open forums for employee input.  Give them time to mull over the challenges and collectively come up with solutions.

There is no guarantee, but there is a chance that, like the bakery, their collective creativity will find a solution that might just solve the problem.

Focus on areas that they can influence. Remember to share what is positive as well as what is challenging. Make sure to recognise their hard work and resilience during “tough time”. Employees need positive reinforcement more than ever.  If they are working remotely, they don’t have the usual physical ques and casual conversations that tell them they are doing well.

Embrace new ways of doing things and be open to all ideas. Be as flexible as possible. Enable employees to juggle work, life and family commitments in a way that works for everyone.

Communication is Key

Communication is always recognised as being critical, but often underestimated and inadequate.  It is easy to get bogged down in the challenges and forget to tell employees what is going on.

  • Communicate with employees often.
  • Use a variety of media.
  • Present to the whole company, divisions and teams at different times and in different ways
  • Enable forums for Q&A.
  • Make sure solutions are captured, input is recognised and ideas are met with an open mind.
  • Send updates on items discussed.
  • Throw out old expectations and create new ones.

Risk Assessment

Carry out a risk assessment across all levels of the organisation and ensure that employees are engaged as part of the process. Plan for specific scenarios before they happen! Communicate early and often. This is a must do even for sole traders and micro businesses.  It allows the possibility of a Plan B, minimises the impact of risk and takes advantage of opportunities.

Lead by Example

How you react will influence how employees perceive the situation. Be the steady helm to lead through the troubled waters.

The language you use is particularly important.  Any attachment to certainty will increase stress and anxiety. Use of the words like “hoped for”, “expected outcomes”,  “right” and “wrong”, will stifle creativity.

Listen and pay close attention to your employees.  Use words like “might”,” possibility”,” I wonder” and “maybe”. You might wonder if a particular scenario is workable, and you might wonder if that is the right solution.  It might be right, it might be wrong.  That’s the thing about uncertainty – you can’t be sure.  Keep an open mind.

Create and share key learning moments. Change your mind if you need to.  Employees will understand if you communicate. This is all about your personal mindset. Let go of the need for certainty and embrace the new.

Employees are our greatest asset. They can help us find solutions for readiness, response and recovery. The instincts and actions that will see us through the current global crisis will also make us stronger as we face the longer term challenges.

I have a book coming out in 28th September in collaboration with Charlotte Valeur. It is called Effective Directors QTA. In my section on health and wellbeing I talk more about the importance of supporting employees, giving you key questions to ask to improve your wellbeing strategy. Click here for a copy.

Resilience Through Overcoming FOMO

What is Fomo?

FOMO is the fear of missing out. It’s the feeling you get when you see someone else doing something that you want to be doing. FOMO can be a powerful motivator. It can drive you to do things that you wouldn’t otherwise do. It can also lead to feelings of envy, jealousy, and insecurity.

FOMO is a real phenomenon. It’s been studied by psychologists and sociologists. And it’s been written about in the popular press. FOMO is a very real emotion that can have a significant impact on your life.

If you’re someone who suffers from FOMO, there are a few things you can do to combat it. First, try to be aware of it when it happens. Recognize that it’s just an emotion and that it doesn’t have to control you. Second, don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone’s life is different and you don’t know what someone else’s life is really like. Third, focus on your own happiness. Do things that make you happy and don’t worry about what other people are doing.

FOMO can be a difficult emotion to deal with, but it doesn’t have to control your life. If you’re aware of it and you take steps to combat it, you can live a happy and fulfilling life despite it.

What Causes Fomo?

There’s no denying that social media has changed the way we interact with each other and consume information. One of the most notable aspects of social media is the way it can create a sense of FOMO, or “fear of missing out.” When we see our friends and acquaintances constantly sharing photos and updates about their lives, it’s only natural to feel like we’re missing out on something if we’re not doing the same.

FOMO can be a powerful motivator, driving us to do things we wouldn’t otherwise do or to spend money we might not have. It can also lead to feelings of envy, jealousy, and insecurity. So while social media can be a great way to stay connected with friends and family, it’s important to be aware of the potential downsides as well.

How to Overcome FOMO

If you’re someone who struggles with FOMO, or the Fear of Missing Out, you’re not alone. FOMO is a very real phenomenon that can cause a lot of anxiety and stress. But there are ways to overcome it.

Here are some tips:

1. Be aware of your triggers. What are the things that tend to make you feel FOMO? Once you know your triggers, you can start to work on avoiding them or managing them better.

2. Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness can help you be more present and focus on the here and now. This can help you to stop worrying about what you’re missing out on and enjoy the moment you’re in.

3. Set boundaries. Don’t say yes to every invitation or opportunity that comes your way. Learn to say no, and set limits on how much you’re willing to do. This will help you to focus on the things that are truly important to you.

4. Be grateful. Shift your focus from what you don’t have to what you do have. Be thankful for the good things in your life and the experiences you’ve already had.

5. Live in the moment. One of the best ways to overcome FOMO is to focus on the here and now. Enjoy the moment you’re in and don’t worry about what you’re missing out on.

With these tips, you can start to overcome your fear of missing out and live a more peaceful, stress-free life.

What Are the Benefits of Building Resilience?

Resilience is the ability to recover from setbacks and to bounce back in the face of adversity. It is a key life skill that enables us to cope with challenges and setbacks. Resilient people are able to adapt and adjust to change. They are also able to persevere in the face of difficulties.

Resilience is not about being invincible or immune to challenges. It is about having the inner strength to overcome difficulties and the ability to learn from setbacks. Resilient people are able to draw on their inner resources to deal with difficult situations. They have a positive outlook and believe that they can overcome challenges.

Resilience is a learned behaviour. It is something that we can develop and strengthen over time. By increasing our resilience, we can build our inner strength and capacity to cope with whatever life throws at us.

There are a few things you can do to build resilience to FOMO. First, remember that not everything you see on social media is an accurate representation of reality. Second, focus on your own happiness, rather than what others are doing. And finally, don’t be afraid to take a break from social media if it’s causing you anxiety or stress.

Fear of missing out can be debilitating, but it is possible to overcome it. By taking action and focusing on what is important, you can build resilience and achieve your goals.

 

Becoming a Resilient Leader – Three Elements

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The Resilient Leader

It’s tough being a leader but being a resilient leader can help. The responsibilities are many, and the pressures can be overwhelming. That’s why resilient leaders are the ones that survive and thrive. Resilient leaders are able to work through the challenges they face. They are able to adapt to their environment and refocus their energies on the tasks at hand. This blog will focus on three qualities that resilient leaders must have, and how you can instill these qualities in your own leadership style.

The resilient leader is able to handle difficult situations and maintain a positive attitude. They can also inspire and motivate their team to a higher degree than their counterparts. Resilience is essential in a leader, as it allows them to overcome difficult experiences. This can be seen in the way they respond to challenges, remain calm under pressure, and stay focused on the task at hand. Being better at building trust with their team they are seen as honest and trustworthy. Being able to show empathy for their team members and understand their needs is also key. This makes it easier for them to provide support when needed and build relationships with their team members.

What are the keys to becoming a resilient leader?

There are many qualities that are essential for effective leadership, but one of the most important is resilience. Resilient leaders are able to weather the storms of adversity and emerge stronger and more successful than ever before. They possess an inner strength and fortitude that allows them to keep going even when things are tough.

There are several key traits that resilient leaders share:

  • They are positive and optimistic, even in the face of adversity.
  • Have a strong belief in their own ability to overcome challenges and achieve their goals.
  • Are tenacious and persistent, never giving up even when the odds seem insurmountable.

Becoming a resilient leader requires more than just possessing these qualities, it also requires a willingness to face challenges head-on and a commitment to never giving up. It means having the courage to take risks and the determination to learn from your mistakes. If you can develop these qualities, you will be well on your way to becoming a resilient leader.

The 3 Elements

Resilience is your ability to maintain a positive mindset in the face of difficulty or adversity. To be a resilient leader, you need to have three key elements: accountability, adaptability, and emotional intelligence.  Adaptability means being able to change your methods or approach when needed in order to succeed. And accountability means having someone you can trust who will hold you accountable for your actions and results. Emotional Intelligence means being aware of your impact o others and modifying as necessary.

Each of these three elements is necessary for a successful leadership career. By developing resilience, adaptability, and accountability within yourself as a leader, you will be better equipped to face any challenge head-on and come out on top.

Firstly experience is key. A resilient leader has probably been through some tough times and knows how to recuperate from them. They have a deep understanding of themselves and their team, which allows them to better anticipate and respond to challenges.

Secondly adaptability: Having strong emotional control and not allowing negative events or emotions to get the best of them. This allows them to stay focused on their goals and keep the team moving forward.

Lastly, self-Awareness: Being aware of your own strengths and weaknesses is essential for learning and development. All excellent leaders are continuously learning and developing themselves and their teams. They know when they need help from their team and are open about how they’re feeling. This allows everyone on the team to feel connected and supported, which is key for success in any organization

How to apply resilience in your everyday life

Resilience every day is just as important as being a resilient leader. In order to apply resilience in your everyday life, you must first understand what resilience is and how it can help you. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from difficult situations and setbacks. It is a key life skill that can help you cope with challenges and adversity.

There are many ways to build resilience. Some important things you can do include: developing a positive outlook, building a support network, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and learning how to manage stress. Building “Real Resilience” takes time and effort, but it is worth it. It is a lifestyle, a striving to be the best versions of ourselves. When you are resilient, you are better able to cope with life’s challenges and setbacks. You can also find strength and hope in the midst of difficult times.

It is important to remember that resilience is not about avoiding difficulties, it is about how you deal with them. By building resilience, you will be better equipped to cope with whatever life throws your way.

How to build a resilient leader mindset

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best way to build a resilient mindset will vary depending on the individual. However, there are some general principles that can be followed in order to develop greater resilience. Having a positive outlook on life, practicing gratitude and positive affirmations are all incredibly powerful practices. I have been using them for years.

  • Firstly, it is important to develop a positive outlook and believe in yourself. Have faith in your ability to overcome challenges and bounce back from setbacks.
  • Secondly, it is helpful to develop a support network of family and friends who you can rely on for help and encouragement.
  • Thirdly, it is important to take care of yourself physically and mentally, as this will help to boost your overall resilience.
  • Finally, it is helpful to learn from your mistakes and view challenges as opportunities for growth.

By following these principles, you can develop the resilient mindset needed to overcome challenges and achieve your goals.

Resilient leaders know who they are and what they stand for. Start by identifying your core values. What is important to you? What do you stand for? Once you know your values, you can start setting goals that align with them. It’s important to have short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals to keep you motivated and on track. As you work towards your goals, you will inevitably face setbacks. This is where a resilient mindset comes in handy. A resilient mindset helps you to see setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow. It also allows you to stay focused on your goals, even when things are tough. So, if you want to build a resilient mindset, start by identifying your core values and setting goals that align with them. Then, when you face setbacks, view them as opportunities to learn and grow.

Remember it is not about fearing failure, it is about embracing failure and learning to do things differently, as a result.

Conclusion

There are many benefits to being a resilient leader, including the ability to withstand difficult challenges and maintain focus amid chaos. Leaders who are resilient are able to effectively manage stress, stay calm under pressure, and remain composed in chaotic situations. This can lead to improved decision-making, better communication, and stronger team dynamics. Additionally, being resilient can instill a greater sense of confidence in those around you and foster a greater sense of trust. Being a resilient leader can have many benefits for your business.

“True resilience is an absence of the ego, it’s the pleasure of being connected to the wisdom of the universe.” The above quote describes exactly what leadership resilience is, and why it’s so important. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from negative situations, and it’s a trait that is beginning to become more and more important in the world of business.

In order to be a leader, you have to learn how to deal with adversity. Whether it’s a bad economy, employee issues, or a company that’s losing money, a leader is going to have to deal with these situations. So if you want to be a good leader, you need to know how to bounce back from these problems. We hope this post helped you see how you can become a better leader by learning how to deal with adversity. Thanks for reading our post on leadership resilience.

Emotional Resilience

Emotional Resilience and Stress – What is the Difference?

Emotional resilience is the ability to cope with stress and setbacks. It’s about bouncing back from difficult experiences and maintaining a positive outlook. Stress, on the other hand, is a response to a challenging situation. It’s the body’s way of preparing for fight or flight. While some stress can be beneficial, too much can lead to anxiety, depression, and other health problems.

What are the characteristics of resilient people?

Resilient people are those who are able to adapt to and recover from difficult life experiences. They possess a number of qualities, including a positive outlook, a sense of humor, flexibility, and a willingness to learn from their mistakes. Basically, resilient people are also able to draw on their support systems – family, friends, and community – when times are tough.

Take small steps to increase your emotional resilience.

When it comes to increasing your emotional resilience, it is important to take small steps. This is because big changes can be overwhelming and can lead to more stress. Instead, focus on making small changes in your daily routine that will add up to big changes over time. For example, start each day by taking a few moments to yourself to practice deep breathing or meditation. This can help to center yourself and lower your stress levels. Make sure to also schedule time for activities that make you happy, such as spending time with friends or pursuing a hobby. By taking small steps to increase your emotional resilience, you will be better equipped to handle stress and setbacks.

The importance of developing emotional resilience.

It is important to develop emotional resilience in order to cope with the challenges and stresses of life. When we are emotionally resilient, we are able to quickly recover from setbacks and adversity. We are able to cope with difficult emotions and situations. We are also able to find meaning and purpose in our lives, even in the midst of difficulties.

Developing emotional resilience is not easy. It takes time, effort, and practice. However, it is worth it! When we are emotionally resilient, we are better able to deal with the challenges and stresses of life. We are also able to live happier and more fulfilling lives.

Emotional Resilience Factors: Emotional Agility

There are several emotional resilience factors that are important for individuals to develop in order to effectively cope with stress and adversity: emotional awareness, awareness of others and emotional flexibility

Self-Awareness – How well do I know myself?

Key characteristics of Self-Awareness:

  • Being mindful and curious about your thoughts and emotions
  • Noticing your self-talk – listening to what you’re saying to yourself
  • Validating your thoughts against reality
  • Challenging unhelpful and inaccurate thoughts
  • Affirming helpful and empowering thoughts
  • Being aware of the relationship between your thoughts, emotions and behaviours
  • Having an accurate and realistic view of your strengths and possible weaknesses
  • Being open to feedback and showing a willingness to change

Awareness of Others – How well do I read others and facilitate better relationships?

Key characteristics of Awareness of Others:

  • Ability to ‘speed read’ others
  • Understanding others perspectives
  • Showing consideration for others
  • Controlling emotions to avoid damaging relationships
  • Recognising the impact of own behaviour on others
  • Ability to manage conflict

Emotional Flexibility – How well do I assess the context I’m in and effectively adapt my responses?

Key Characteristics of Emotional Flexibility:

  • Reading situations quickly
  • ‘Tuning up’ and ‘tuning down’ behaviours effectively and authentically
  • Adapting (emotional responses in) to demanding situations and challenges
  • Knowing how to manage emotions and behaviours to get the most out of situations

One of the best ways of learning about emotional awareness and emotional self-regulation is to use ground-breaking psychometrics which reveals your dynamic personality and helps increase emotional intelligence. Emotional Intelligence is the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically. Emotional intelligence is the key to both personal and professional success. You will see many elements of this is the description of emotional agility above. We provide coaching on increasing your potential using emotional intelligence. To find out more take a look here.

How to be Resilient in Difficult Situations?

In today’s world, it’s more important than ever to know how to be resilient in difficult situations. Certainly, with so much uncertainty in the world, it’s essential to have the ability to bounce back from setbacks and challenges. Here are some tips for how to be resilient in difficult situations:

  • Firstly, believe in yourself. One of the most important aspects of resilience is self-belief. However, when you believe in yourself, you are more likely to persevere through difficult times.
  • Secondly, stay positive. It’s important to maintain a positive outlook, even when things are tough. This positive attitude will help you maintain hope and motivation. Be proactive. Don’t wait for things to happen, make them happen. Take control of your life and your situation. This will help you feel empowered and more capable of dealing with difficult times.
  • Thirdly, be resilient. This one might seem obvious, however, it’s important to remember that you are resilient. You have the ability to overcome challenges and come out stronger on the other side.

By following these tips, you can develop the resilience you need to thrive in difficult situations.

With everything that happens in life, it’s important to be armed with the tools you need to feel balanced. We hope that this blog post was able to offer you some insights into emotional resilience. We’re always happy to hear from you, so if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reach out to us anytime. Thanks for reading – we look forward to hearing from you!

If you would like to find out more about building resilience through coaching please visit our personal resilience page by clicking here.

Financial Resilience

The Cornerstone of Financial Resilience

The word “resilience,” which is now rather fashionable, was not always fundamental when talking about finances and the financial systems. It appears to have been first introduced in September 2002 after the events 1st September 2001. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Securities and Exchange Commission published a reporting advising action on operations to make them more resilient. In other words, introduce things like off-site trading rooms that could be used in an emergency. When we talk about financial resilience we are largely talking about managing risk and planning for a rainy day.

The World Economic Forum defines financial resilience as “the ability to withstand and recover from financial shocks”. Financial planning is the cornerstone of financial resilience, whether you are thinking about personal or business finances.

Finances: One of the Most Common Sources of Stress

The antithesis of financial resilience is financial stress. Finances are one of the most common sources of stress in our lives. In fact, it is ranked as the number one cause of stress in the United States. As a result, many people find themselves struggling to make ends meet, and often turn to debt as a way to cope with this struggle. Like any source of overwhelming stress, financial problems can take a huge toll on your mental and physical health, relationships, and overall quality of life.

Debt is not sustainable for many people and can lead to serious consequences such as bankruptcy or foreclosure on your home. Fortunately, there are ways to get out of debt. If you find yourself struggling with debt, you should consult a professional immediately for help on how to get back on track financially and reduce your stress levels.

Financial struggles, as a business owner, are equally worrying. How will you afford to pay your creditors and your employees? How can you keep afloat until the next invoice is paid? Late payment of invoices is a terrible burden on any business, but particularly onerous for smaller businesses who do not have the cash flow to fall back on.

The stress of financial issues leaves you feeling stressed and anxious. You may find it harder to concentrate or lack the energy to tackle a mounting pile of bills. Or you may lose income by taking time off work due to anxiety or depression. You become trapped in a downward spiral of increasing money problems and declining mental health.

Building Financial Resilience

Whatever your circumstances, there are ways to get through these tough economic times, ease stress and anxiety, and regain control of your finances.

Financial resilience is the ability to withstand and recover from economic shocks, such as sudden unemployment or a reduction in income. Financial resilience is a measure of the capacity of individuals, households, communities, businesses, and countries to withstand economic shocks by maintaining their standard of living and meeting their financial obligations.

The most important part of financial resilience is that it is not just about money. It includes people’s skills and abilities, social connections and networks as well as their confidence in themselves and their future prospects. It also includes having access to essential goods and services that are critical for day-to-day living – health care, education, decent housing, clean water, and sanitation.

Managing Debt 

Professional advice is the best place to start. If you are UK-based then talk to your bank, your citizen’s advice bureau, or an independent financial advisor or use your access to your Employee Assistance Programme if your employer has one. Wherever you live, there are a number of organisations that offer help with dealing with financial problems. These are the sorts of things they can help with:

  • Managing debt
  • Creating and sticking to a budget
  • Finding work
  • Communicating with creditors
  • Claiming benefits
  • Other financial assistance

The most important thing is that you talk to someone! It can be very difficult to go it alone when coping with financial stress. It is also one of those problems, the longer you leave it the more serious it is likely to become. Start by talking to family and friends so they can support you. The first step to financial resilience is overcoming any financial issues.

Not being a qualified financial advisor I am not intending to go any further with advice on how to get your finances back on track. Each case is so very unique, that the best course of action is to seek professional, personal advice.

Creating an Emergency Fund

Achieving financial resilience is a long-term process that requires making changes in your lifestyle and habits. It’s not something you can do overnight or by reading a book. Financial resilience is about whole life planning, not just the now.

The first step to creating an emergency fund is to assess your needs. How much money do you need to cover unexpected expenses? Once you have a number in mind, start setting aside money each month to reach your goal. You can set up a dedicated savings account for your emergency fund. The important thing is to make sure the money is easily accessible in case you need it.

If you have a steady income, setting aside 10% of each paycheck is a good way to build up your emergency fund quickly. You can also look for ways to cut expenses so you can have more money to put towards your fund. Once you have built up your emergency fund, it’s important to keep it replenished so it’s there when you need it.

Extra Protection

It is important for individuals, and businesses to have some form of insurance in place. This may include, but is not limited to considerations of health insurance, property insurance,  income protection, and others. I am sure you can think of a few more. Basically building resilience into your financial risk management plans so you are covered in case of illness or loss of earnings.

Building Wealth

There are many ways to build wealth, but some are more effective than others. One of the best ways to build wealth is to invest in yourself. This means taking the time to learn about financial planning and investing, and then putting that knowledge into action.

Another great way to build wealth is to invest in assets that will appreciate over time, such as Stock ISAs. These types of investments can provide you with a steady stream of income, which can help you to build your wealth over time.

Finally, another effective way to build wealth is to live below your means. This means spending less than you earn and investing the difference. By doing this, you can save up a large sum of money over time, which can then be used to invest in assets or to fund your retirement.

There are many ways to build business wealth, but some of the most effective include investing in growth opportunities, diversifying your income streams, and carefully managing expenses. Investing in growth opportunities is a great way to build wealth over time. This could include investing in new products or services, expanding into new markets, or investing in new technologies.

Diversifying your income streams is another smart way to build wealth. This means having multiple sources of income so that if one stream dries up, you still have others to rely on.

Finally, carefully managing expenses is crucial to building wealth. This means monitoring your spending, setting a budget, and making sure you are not overspending on unnecessary items.

Making mistakes, learning from them

There’s no shame in making mistakes. We all do it, and it’s a natural part of learning and growing. The important thing is to not get discouraged and to learn from our mistakes so that we don’t make them again.

When we make a mistake, we can often feel like we’re the only one who has ever made that particular error. But the truth is, everyone makes mistakes. It’s part of being human. What matters is how we respond to our mistakes, and what we learn from them.

If we can keep a positive attitude, and view our mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow, then we’ll be on the right track. Making mistakes is inevitable, but it’s what we do afterward that counts.

Conclusion

Financial Resilience can help you enjoy your now as well as build for your personal and business future

What Is Real Resilience?

Real Resilience

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity and meet challenges with an open mind and a positive attitude. It is something that we all have the potential to be, but it requires practice. It’s not just about being able to withstand pressure, but also about being able to take advantage of opportunities in life. There are many ways in which you can develop resilience, from physical activity and sleep to developing new skills or learning how to be more compassionate towards yourself.

The term “Resilience” has been used in many contexts and its meaning varies depending on the context. However, there are some common features that help define what resilience really is. These features include:

  • The ability to adapt well in the face of adversity
  • The process of adapting well in the face of trauma or tragedy
  • The capability to recover quickly from setbacks
  • A sense that one has control over their own destiny

Real Resilience is more than just a mindset, it is a way of life. It is the ability to adapt to an ever-changing environment. Real Resilience means you can own your impact, growth, and contribution. It does require taking accountability for your own destiny. With Real Resilience, when we talk about being able to withstand the pressure we do not mean that we buckle down when things get stressful and push through. We mean understanding what our stress triggers are, knowing how we react under excessive pressure, and having the tools and techniques to do something about it. Real Resilience is about striving to be the best version of yourself – every single day – because Real Resilience takes work.

Why is Real Resilience important?

There are a plethora of studies in recent years that confirm “resilient people are better able to manage their emotions and thoughts, which helps them cope with difficult times.” Resilience has been linked to better physical health, stronger relationships, higher self-esteem, and a more positive outlook on life.

Resilient businesses are able to increase productivity, reduce costs, and stay agile in times of uncertainty. During this time of ever-increasing uncertainty, marked by covid and its impact on businesses and individuals alike. The rising worldwide tensions. Then there are cyberthreats to contend with. On top of that, there are employment market issues, and more. Senior leaders are sharpening their focus on resilience. What makes some companies so much more resilient than others? How can we build resilience in our organisations? All these questions are more are what we will be answering.

It is not just personal resilience that we need to consider. Financial, Operational, Organisational, Business, Technological, Leadership and Reputational are all different aspects of resilience that we need to think about. You will be able to discover more about these different elements of resilience in the coming weeks.

There is so much talk about resilience these days. It is all over the news, it is being praised by politicians, and society is desperate to find out how to become more resilient. But is it just a buzzword? Is it just used to make us feel better about living in a world that is changing faster than we can cope with? How do you know if you are truly resilient? Will you know if you are only when you are faced with a real challenge? Real resilience is not a buzzword. It is not a list of traits or a change of mindset.

Signs of Real Resilience

An Individual Perspective

Some people are born with an innate sense of resilience, the ability to pick themselves up and carry on in the face of adversity. For others, it is a quality that must be learned and cultivated. Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, resilience is a critical quality for success in life.

The ability to persevere in the face of setbacks, and to keep going even when things are tough, is what separates the successful from the unsuccessful. Those who are resilient are able to take whatever life throws at them in stride, and they come out the other side stronger and more capable than before.

Resilience is not a quality that is always easy to maintain, but it is one that is worth striving for. When you are feeling down and out, remember that you have the power to pick yourself up and carry on.

A Business Perspective

Do you feel like your business is resilient? Do you know what resilience actually is? What does it mean to be resilient? Are you one of those companies that is always on the edge or could your business survive a rough patch? When it comes to business, resilience is key. The ability to weather storms, adapt to change, and keep going in the face of adversity is what separates successful businesses from those that fail.

The key to business resilience is having a solid plan in place. This plan should include contingencies for unexpected events, a clear understanding of your customers and what they need, and a willingness to change and adapt as needed.

In today’s ever-changing business landscape, being resilient is more important than ever. The businesses that are able to adapt and change with the times are the ones that will succeed. So, if you want your business to thrive, make sure you have a solid plan in place and you’re ready to change and adapt as needed. Although change can be challenging and those around you can resist. If you would like some ideas then why not give us a call.

Developing Real Resilience

Real Resilience is not something that can be developed overnight. It requires a lot of hard work and dedication. However, it is possible to develop Real Resilience by taking small steps each day. For example, you can start by setting yourself small goals and working towards them. You can also try to be more positive in your thinking and stay away from negative thoughts and emotions. Additionally, it is important to stay physically and mentally healthy, as this will help you to cope with stress and difficult situations. Finally, you can also develop resilience by building strong relationships with others and having a support system to rely on.

Developing business resilience is essential for any organization that wants to thrive in today’s constantly changing landscape. By definition, resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficulties. In the business world, this means being able to adapt to new market conditions, weather disruptions, and other unexpected challenges.

There are a number of ways to build resilience in your business. One is to diversify your revenue streams so that you’re not relying on just one or two sources of income. Another is to create a culture of flexibility and innovation so that your team is able to quickly pivot when necessary. You should also have systems and processes in place to help you quickly recover from any disruptions. A robust and supportive organisational culture is essential.

Developing business resilience takes time and effort, but it’s well worth it. By being prepared for whatever comes your way, you’ll be able to weather any storm and come out stronger on the other side.

What Next

We have only just scratched the surface of Real Resilience today. We have really only just put Real Resilience into context. Next week we are going to continue the discussion and take a look at financial resilience. Look out for our weekly posts to build on your resilience week by week. Some blogs will focus on the individual and some will focus on businesses. All of them will focus on helping you achieve success.

What About Workplace Diversity?

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Has the workplace become a melting pot? It’s all about diversity?

With recent headlines around the gender pay gap and women in the workforce dominating the news, it’s easy for companies to try a one-size fits all recruitment approach to fill gaps quickly. But, diversity is much more than hiring individuals from a specific demographic or ethnic background. Often the mistake businesses make is encouraging management to hire from specific groups in order to tick the ‘right’ boxes, which can lead unhappy staff as inclusion needs to be a part of the company culture not just the hiring process.

One of the biggest challenges facing companies today is how to create an environment that is open and values equal participation so people thrive rather than just be present each day. Create a culture where people can feel they are truly valued and respected.  Individuals are like an ionion, many layered. We have got to make sure companies create processes to understand, welcome, respect and value differences.

When reviewing diversity and inclusion processes, there is no quick fix or shortcut. People may feel threatened with change. Changes is processes and proceedures will be necessary.. But if a business is truly committed to it, then absolutely it can be done.

A few key pieces of advice for employers about how to incorporate and create a diverse workplace.

People like businesses are unique, so the hiring process should be too. Diversity is key!

Usually hiring is need driven; someone has resigned and as a result the role needs to be filled as soon as possible, which means the same job advert is used.

It is important to ask the following questions:

  • Do we really need that level of education?
  • Can we offer flexible working?
  • Do they have to be able to do certain key parts of the role?
  • What’s our interview process?
  • Is it the same panel each time – is there any representation?

Value proposition – the advertising message and its appeal

It is very much about creating a process that is more about equity than equality – not discounting any group or individual to make sure that we’re all actually at the same starting point. If a company is inclusive, they would want to attract everybody and not only look at getting women back into the workplace or increasing the number of Black, Asian minority, Ethnics (BAME) candidates into their company. The message should be that they want the best person for the role and recognising that they might have to male themselves attractive to individuals in order to want them to come and work for the company.

Onboard and retain staff

It is important that companies spend time to make their onboarding process inclusive. Employees want to know what it will be like going forward once they have joined the company.  They will want to know if there is a real culture of inclusion. Ensure there is follow on from appointment through to onboarding. This could lead to retaining employees, as a culture is created where everyone feels valued.

Valuing diversity

At times, companies struggle to get a number of diverse candidates to apply for their jobs.  This links back to the messaging – Companies need to remember that every potential future employee is researching them before they even apply. Potential staff can quickly tell if you are being authentic or if it’s just another token gesture. What message as a company are you putting out on social media?