Bouncing Back from Change

“The fundamental difference in those who are able to cope with change is their level of resilience. Resilience is the ability to absorb high levels of change while displaying minimal dysfunctional behavior.”
Daryl Connor – Internationally recognized leader in the field of change management

How quickly do you rebound from change? How resilient are you? In this month’s “Self Healing” newsletter from Dr. Andrew Weil, he offers several characteristics of highly resilient people and actions to take for developing them yourself.

Cultivate elasticity. “Become a human slinky”, he says, by first developing a strong inner self that is flexible enough to bounce back from adversity, yet firmly rooted. Practice mindfulness by centering yourself with meditation, nature walks, running, relaxation techniques, etc. Also keep lists of strengths and compliments (I have a “Kudos” binder) and set moderately challenging goals to improve self confidence and self esteem, two very important pieces of a strong inner self.

Use your smarts. It’s not your IQ but how you use it. More relaxation techniques are handy here to help prevent stress and handle emotions so that you can focus on a specific task. Practice memory and concentration techniques to help keep the mind flexible and active.
Flex your positive side. When having fun, you are reducing stress levels and expanding your cognitive skills. Positive emotions, like happiness and satisfaction, not only slow down the heart rate and lower stress hormones, they allow for creative, innovative solutions to come through. Balance your optimism and pessimism and look for the humor in all situations.

Use your imagination. Look for new solutions or opportunities by using your imagination, which nurtures creativity. Take time to reflect on a situation and work with your thoughts to come up with potential outcomes.

Build strong social ties. Those who are best at coping with adversity also have strong relationships and know when to reach out for help. They’re eager to help others and are generous with their time. Build relationships and connections by asking for suggestions and help in attaining your goals.

Ask questions. Become a good problem solver. Step back from the issue at hand and make a list of questions to ask yourself, i.e. What is happening? How serious is this? How much time do I have? Must I do anything?

Avoid a victim mentality. Take responsibility for your role, embrace the situation and act on finding a solution. “The problem isn’t what others do, it’s your reaction to what they do.”

Wonderful tools to implement next time you find yourself facing change in the workplace or at home. For more information on resiliency, see The Resiliency Advantage by Al Siebert, PhD. and The Woman’s Book of Resilience by Beth Miller, PhD. Test your own resiliency level at www.resiliencycenter.com

Put one of these to the test this week and better prepare yourself for impending change. Remember, “the only constant in life is change”.