Resilience in Times of Change
The circumstances within which we work are challenging at the best of times. With global conflict, dramatic shifts within the international order and threats to the funding that has supported good works for many decades, it can be hard to feel positive and hopeful. How can we do our best to remain resilient in the face of these sources of risk and stress?
We are all anxious
Me too. Being strong within ourselves and in our work starts with acknowledging that we are feeling this way. What we are feeling is normal. Recognizing our feelings is the beginning point of being strong.
Managing our anxiety is our first personal and professional responsibility.
Nature gave us fear for a good reason. It helps us survive. When I feel threatened, dozens of biochemical reactions take place in my body. I am ready for ‘flight or fight’. Adrenaline rushes. Energy shifts. The properties of my blood change. My vigilance spikes. It is a good design.
A problem arises, however, if I don’t get past that alarm state. If I remain in a condition of fear and worry those same biochemical reactions turn against me. Over time I become weaker instead of stronger. My immune system wears down. My amygdala, the part of the brain that is like my threat signaller, gets bigger and stronger. A cycle begins in which my anxiety continues to grow and I become ever less effective in coping with the threats and with potential illness.
When I don’t find a way internally to release threat response energy, I unconsciously look for ways to release it externally. I may find myself being angry with others. I may clean obsessively. I may use alcohol, drugs, tobacco or risky behaviours more than usual. All of these actions are natural (and unhelpful) responses to the genuine need to calm the biological impacts of fear and anxiety
If we don’t find a way to release those energies we will wear down. Anxiety fatigue is one of the reasons that we sometimes return from intense field missions deeply exhausted and perhaps ill. Our bodies’ protective and restorative systems have become overwhelmed by our allowing our alarm systems to work non-stop.
Not having tools to work with our anxiety can lead to long term burnout. In our business that can be a career ender.
The way to overcome this challenge, the way to remain healthy and strong, the way to stay professionally effective in a challenging work environment – is to work effectively with our own anxiety.
Strategies for dealing with anxiety and uncertainty
A lot of things are beyond our control. … We can’t fix everything and protect everyone. What we can do is ask ourselves, every day, “What IS in my realm of influence?” “What CAN I do today that will make me better and that will let me help others, even if it is in a small way?”
If we get caught in a vortex of despair or sadness we are in trouble and we won’t be helping anyone else. Resist the vortex. Checking the news and commentaries many times a day nourishes the uncontrollable growth of anxiety within us. Check it occasionally, then turn it off. Ask yourself instead “What can I do right now, within what I control, to make things better?”
Author Brene Brown described hope as an antidote to despair, and positive actions as a way to manifest hope. “Right now, the thing that is helping the most is micro-dosing hope. … I am asking myself how I can support the people around me. The people on my team, in my community. How can I make sure that, in the maelstrom of my emotions, I stay committed to courage, kindness and caring for others regardless of choices made by others? Doing the next right thing is hard … but sometimes it is all we’ve got.”
There are three legs on a resilience stool: The first is communication
It begins with communicating honestly with myself. I need to recognize and acknowledge what I am feeling emotionally, how that is expressed physically, and then act to take care of myself. As we are told on airplanes, “put your own oxygen mask on first!” If we allow ourselves to become exhausted, unwell and despairing, we won’t be able to help anyone else.
We need to remain active members of communities of all kinds within which we can find pleasure, joy, encouragement, care, hope and inspiration. Those communities counterbalance and build energy against the negative forces of the world.
This leg has three sections: physical, psychological/emotional and spiritual.
There are things we can do physically that link with the psychological/emotional joint of this leg. The goal is to use our bodies to get our biochemical anxiety responses to return to “base level”
Get in touch with your body
If you already practice yoga, meditation, deep breathing or other forms of mindfulness, you are ahead of the game. Science confirms that these practices have a huge impact on our wellbeing. If you don’t yet have one, this is the perfect time to start. There are lots of resources on-line to help.
Work with your body
Sleep! In our busy-ness we sometimes forget how important sleep is. Bad sleep weakens our immune systems and injures our ability to cope and problem solve. Bad sleep is both a personal and a professional crippler. Good sleep makes us stronger on both fronts. Set a firm schedule. At the same time every night shut down computers and cell phones. Do that at least an hour before you want to nod off, because the light emitted from screens stimulates the brain to wakefulness in the same way that the rising sun does. Have a getting-ready-for-sleep routine as thoughtful as the preparation you make for a field trip. Stretch. Listen to music you love. Read something you love. Meditate or pray. Let go, for now, of worry about what you cannot control in the world. Gradually dim the lights. Calcium, magnesium or ashwagandha supplements may also help improve sleep.
Exercise. The deep breathing that comes with a good workout helps pump good chemistry through our hearts and brains and supports anxiety control. If we are in confined spaces there are lots of on-line resources for exercise regimes. If you have kids at home, model working out and inspire them to join you.
Eat healthily and stay hydrated. When we are anxious or sad we want to find a way to release endorphins – the body’s “feel good” chemicals. The ‘cheap’ way to do that is with sugary, salty, fatty treats or with alcohol or coffee or with the rush that comes with some kinds of risky behaviours. All of these strategies feel good in the short run but hurt us in the longer run. The food pleasure rushes, for instance, lead quickly to energy crashes and the impulse to have yet another soft drink and cookie. This is the time to be really mindful about good nutrition. (I confess, this is an area where I have to be particularly vigilant.)
Be in touch with nature. A funny meme was circulating on the internet recently. “I had a conversation with a spider today. He was nice. He is a web designer.” Studies have shown that anything that connects us with the natural world helps to ground us. If you can’t go outside but do have a house plant, develop a relationship with it. If a house plant isn’t sufficient, download a sound track of the ocean waves or birds singing and play it often. Find a natural scene that makes you feel calm for a screen saver on your computer.
Be creative. When we are feeling down it helps to do something we are already good at and that will reward us with a feeling of success. It could be cooking, baking, sewing, making music, writing, crafting, painting, juggling, programming – whatever brings a smile to our face when we do it.
Engage with your spirit
We are but one small piece of creation. We are healthiest when we engage with that which is greater than ourselves, whether through prayer, meditation or another form of connection and reflection. Make it a priority.
The third leg: problem solving
As professionals we want to go here first. However, if our minds and bodies are still filled with anxiety we won’t do our best at problem solving. Work first with that anxiety and then we will recognize and create the best opportunities to solve the problems with which we are presented in this challenging time.
