Building personal resilience in challenging times

Towards the end of 2020 our members enjoyed a very thought-provoking discussion with Business, Resilience and Life Coach Siobhan Murray on building personal resilience to prevent professional burnout.

With the country starting the new year in lockdown, her insights and tips are even more applicable and timely.

Siobhan discussed the signs of burnout as muscle aches and pains, tension headaches, sleep disturbance, physical and mental exhaustion and fatigue after minimal effort, an inability to relax, irritability, inability to recover after rest, relaxation or entertainment and being emotionally disengaged.

Siobhan Murray

The key to addressing burnout is to recognise it, recover and reset.

Resilience is the ability to adapt to change. Siobhan noted that resilience is not a trait that people have or don’t have but is something you learn and it can be developed or improved in everyone. A very helpful model for developing is to focus on building the four pillars of personal resilience which are sleep, nutrition, exercise and clutter.

A key focus of the discussion was on the issues being caused by the increase in remote working.

Things to avoid are:

  • Trying to prove you are always working
  • Always being available
  • Being hard on your self

Things to do are:

  • Stick to a routine and a schedule
  • Create a workspace
  • Use a task list
  • Stay in communication with co-workers
  • Reduce distractions and get moving (four pillars)
  • Connect with others

Find out about Siobhan’s Ultimate Guide to Remote Working.