Developing Resilience – A Toolkit Based on Real Life Scenarios
Did you know that we receive 11 million bits of information every second, but the executive, thinking centers of our brain can effectively process only 40 bits of information? Shawn Achor, co-founder of the Institute for Applied Positive Research and author of The Happiness Advantage stated so in the Harvard Business Review, highlighting the importance of building resilience by compartmentalising your cognitive load.
But what is resilience? According to Psychology Today, resilience can be defined as ‘Resilience is the psychological quality that allows some people to be knocked down by the adversities of life and come back at least as strong as before.’ We all know that tech can be one of the most demanding industries to work in- can harnessing resilience be the superpower to remaining happy and healthy in the face of any challenge? We look at common scenarios that tech professionals face and suggest ways to build resilience to overcome stress and remain focussed on your own goals.
Tight Deadlines and High-Pressure Environments:
Be it an engineering deployment, a product discovery presentation, a sales negotiation or a marketing campaign, tech projects often have tight deadlines and demanding schedules. Resilience helps workers manage stress, prioritize tasks effectively, and maintain focus under pressure. One aspect of resilience is emotional regulation, which is particularly helpful when the pressure is mounting. How to do this? I like to release stress by drawing or scribbling notes during an intense meeting, others may find journaling or deep breathing exercises really helpful. The trick is to do these emotional regulation exercises in the moment, or if it’s not immediately possible, then as soon as possible afterwards. This helps your body to release stress quickly and avoid the stress mounting and taking its toll throughout the day.
Rapid Technological Change:
We can barely believe that AI burst onto the scene two years ago. In a short amount of time, AI itself has changed the way we work and live. Most tech professionals will be used to the transformative nature of tech, as it is constantly evolving and responding to new products, innovative forces and market demands. And as new technologies, frameworks, and tools emerge quickly, this makes it essential for anyone in tech to consistently learn and be on top of cutting edge technologies so that they can keep up to speed with the skills that employers need.
So in the continuous flow of learning, where does resilience come in? Resilience exercised through cognitive flexibility can help us to embrace these changes as opportunities for growth rather than as threats to our skills. By effectively reframing negative or challenging thoughts, we make way for confidence and a more growth oriented mindset. The next time you find yourself worrying about whether AI will take your job or if you need an MBA or doctorate to progress to senior management, ask yourself, ‘What skills can I learn that bring me closer to a more fulfilling role’? It is important to acknowledge worries as valid yet also to take action by seeking out projects or courses that align with your values and professional goals.
Maintaining Work-Life Balance:
The fast-paced nature of tech work can easily lead to burnout if not managed properly. Resilience helps workers establish healthy boundaries between work and personal life, prioritize self-care, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
If we had a penny for every time someone mentioned work-life balance! In today’s digitalised world, it is too easy for the boundaries to become blurred. It’s easy to say that you won’t check your emails when you’re not at work, but with remote working, many of us work where we live, so even if we have clear boundaries around work, it can still feel harder to switch. A good way to cultivate boundaries is to fill your personal life with plenty of self-care rituals that help you to rebalance energy spent during the day, such as eating healthy foods and scheduling breaks to enjoy snacks or calling someone you care about. Resting is also incredibly important: making sure you have enough sleep as well as time to ‘do nothing’, (yes, being unproductive is good for you!) allows your brain to properly switch off and wind down. Another component of resilience is how good your social support system is: how often do you see your friends? Do you spend enough quality time with your partner and children? Feeling supported and connected to your friends and loved ones is key to balancing everyday stress, as you can lean on these connections if the going ever gets tough.
There are many ways to cultivate resilience in life however we hope these scenarios and tips are helpful, regardless of situation. It’s also good to remember that cultivating resilience is like training for a marathon, so expect slow and steady progress over time. We may not have control over our careers but we can have immense control of our wellbeing by mastering resilience techniques that enable us to unlock unprecedented levels of growth and the ability to overcome adversity.
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