Mental health challenges affect millions of people each year. The unexpected stress and adversity brought on by COVID-19* has only increased these numbers. Building resilience — the ability to recover quickly from difficulties — can help.

Resilience can protect us from various mental health symptoms. It can also help those who already have mental health conditions better cope. Resilience helps us work through and overcome adversity. It can even help us grow emotionally from traumatic experiences.

“On the other side of a storm is the strength that comes from having navigated through it. Raise your sail and begin.” ― Gregory S. Williams

Resilience comes more easily for some, which is why we all respond to stress and hardships differently. Resilience is built over time as the experiences we have interact with our genetics. It is a learned skill that we can all improve upon with practice.

Developing resilience in the workplace is also critical for navigating change, something most workplaces are dealing with now more than ever. Resiliency skills directly benefit employees’ mental wellbeing by helping them reframe their perception of stress. These are just a few of the reasons we must pay attention to the impact of resilience and make it part of workplace culture.

Here are a few ways to help your employees build resiliency and boost mental wellbeing:

• Learn more about the traits of resilient people, from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). NAMI has a wealth of resources (including local resources) to help you raise awareness of mental illness and assess and build a more mentally healthy workplace culture.
• Start your next meeting — or take a mid-meeting break — with a simple grounding or breathing exercise, both of which can be great tools for building resilience.
• Try implementing a gratitude initiative at your workplace. Practicing gratitude is one way to enhance resilience because it helps us focus on helpful emotions like satisfaction, happiness, and pleasure. HealthSource Solutions now offers a FREE Gratitude Board Program that can be used onsite or online.
• Help your employees take intentional action to focus on the positive to help build resilience. Attend our online Paths to Positivity campaign coordinator training on Thursday, March 17 from 9-10:30 a.m. You will get everything you need to launch this campaign in your workplace whenever it’s convenient for you. REGISTER HERE. This campaign helps employees boost mental wellbeing through one of three paths: connection, mindfulness, or purpose. The training cost is $25 per person.
• Share the Small steps to build resilience handout to help your employees learn three simple, evidence-based strategies to help boost resilience and mental wellbeing.

* For the most up-to-date COVID-19 information, visit Hennepin County, Minnesota Department of Health, or Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC).

Click here to read this month's E-tips for your employees: "Small steps to build resilience"
To share these E-tips with employees, you can:
• Email the E-tips document to your staff as an attachment. 1) Click the link to download and save the E-tips to your computer. 2) Add your organization's logo in the bottom left corner. 3) Then send it as an email attachment to staff.
• Print the document once you've added your organization's logo and post it in a common area in your workplace.
• Copy and paste the text into your organization's newsletter.

Missed last month's E-tips?

Click here to read last month's E-tips on interrupting bias and prejudice at work.