Something that has come up for me a lot with coaching clients over the past year is the area of resilience. Many people have asked me how they can become more resilient so that in the future they can deal with difficult life events, (for example the pandemic), with greater ease.
To be clear – resilience is not about being tough and strong; it is about learning to be flexible and adaptable to change.
This is when I often reference some of the work of Dr Chris Johnstone. He has a useful toolkit model that mentions several areas we can all draw on to build resilience. I like his premise that resilience is something we can all learn; it is not something that you either have or you do not have.
One area he focuses on in his toolkit is the area of Resources. These are things outside us that we can draw on for support and inspiration when life is challenging. Some examples could be friends, special places like parks, pets, books, or websites. For me, there are two resources that have particularly helped me over the past year. The first is the importance of staying connected to people I am close to and the second is enjoying local parks.
Whilst my preference is always to see people in person, this has recently been limited as it has for everyone due to lockdown measures. I found that connecting with people on Zoom, email, or text – whilst not being my first preference – was still a positive experience. It gave me the chance to share and connect, and realise that I am not alone. It also gave me a chance to offer help to others if they needed it.
Finally, other Resources I have learnt to really appreciate have been my local parks. It has been wonderful in recent weeks to go for walks and see the change of seasons and the first signs of Spring. It is amazing how nature reminds us all that things in life are not permanent and are always changing. To build resilience we need to adapt to the different seasons in life and flow with them rather than resist them.
I can help you to build your own resilience and that of your business. Please don’t hesitate to get in contact with me through LinkedIn or via my contact details below:
Angela Sherring
Phone: 07962 871144
Email: angela@sherringassociates.co.uk