Boost your resilience with these 5 tips

Whaaaaaaat? Yep, there it is, in black and white. Less time online is good for you.
Many employees are ‘connected’ professionally (but also privately) for a large part of the day. 

The right to disconnect is an important measure and a signal that our brains need frequent breaks from the incessant flow of online stimuli.

How can you (help) ensure that you get these breaks?

At work:

• Do not leave your mailbox open continuously throughout the day. This distracts you from your other tasks.
• Switch off the audible email notifications.
• If you want to receive fewer emails, send fewer emails. Instead, opt for telephone conversations or face-to-face contact.
• Put your phone on silent mode or turn it off completely when you need to concentrate on a specific task. 
• Take regular offline (!) breaks.
  So, no Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook; instead, go for a short walk or chat with colleagues.

After work:

• Do you have a mobile phone for work? Place this phone somewhere where it cannot disturb you.
• Plan offline recreational activities. Cooking, hiking, sports, gardening, other hobbies…
• Avoid screen time before bed – this is another opportunity to use settings that disable notifications. 
   

Read more:

- Disconnecting in a digital world: where do you start?
- Opinion – Let’s not distort the right to disconnect
 

“It’s just the way it is.”

“I’m just overreacting.”

“What will they think of me?”

Recognise any of these thoughts? They are classics that get in the way of us venting, pouring out our hearts, or speaking in specific terms about what is bothering us.

And yet it is this sharing with others that is so incredibly important. It’s a way of asking for support, and that is something we all need from time to time. A listening ear or some thoughtful feedback helps us put things into (better) perspective or see new solutions.

When talking to your conversation partner, be clear about what you need from them: are you looking for advice and solutions? Or not? Do you simply need someone to listen without giving any well-intentioned advice at all?

No matter what it is you’re looking for, it is important to know who to turn to, like your partner, a friend, or a colleague. Maybe even to your supervisor. If you can’t find the support you need in your network or from your immediate colleagues, you can always turn to the Confidential Adviser or the Psychosocial Prevention Adviser.
 

Read more:

- How do I share the psychosocial prevention adviser’s contact info?
- Employee Assistance Program: promoting mental well-being
- Why organisations should be attentive to their employees’ personal pro
 

Does the (difficult to pronounce) name Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi mean anything to you?
This American psychologist coined the term ‘flow’ to describe the feeling you get when you are so absorbed in what you are doing that time seems to fly by. According to him, people are happiest when they are in a state of supreme concentration and therefore completely absorbed in the activity or action they are performing. You can experience this flow during activities that require little effort, during activities that energise you, and when you are doing something you are good at.

Those who manage to seek out this flow experience are reaping great benefits when it comes to resilience. Focus is crucial to flow, so minimise distractions. (You can find concrete examples above in Tip 1)

With these steps we help you on your way:

1. Set a goal. Knowing what you are working towards creates greater calm and focus. From that place of calmness, you can tap into more of your creativity, which, in turn, helps you get into the flow. Make sure to strike a good balance between being sufficiently challenged and having the required skills.
2. Make the process more important than the result.
3. Work in small steps.

Read more:

- Staying productive throughout your working day: how to stay focused
 

Even though you surely realise that worrying doesn’t help, it is still difficult to actually stop yourself from worrying about things.

By scheduling time for ruminating, you create a limited period of time in which you allow yourself to fret. Beyond that, strict worry hygiene applies: ban these thoughts if they arise outside your scheduled time to worry.

How should you go about this? 
Schedule a 15 to 30-minute period every day (or a few days a week) when you allow yourself to mull over or think about your problems. Complete your time to worry in the same location in the house each time (but definitely not in the bedroom or in bed).

Do you need a guide to worrying?
Consider the following issues:

• What would be a good time and place for you to worry?
• Why do you worry? What is the problem?
• Use your time to worry productively: try to think of solutions and remain constructive.
  If necessary, write down your concerns and link them to solutions, if you have found any.
• Do you find yourself worrying at other times or in other places? Think about something else. Stop those brooding thoughts, tell yourself "I can fret again soon enough" and create distractions for yourself.
• You may not remember what you were worrying about throughout the day.
  That is perfectly OK.
   

Read more:

- Coping: 5 ways to deal with mental health issues
 

The impact of what we eat on how we feel cannot be understated. Sugary or high-fat meals easily lead to an ‘afternoon dip’. After a meal like this, all your energy goes to digestion.

But the foods you choose also have an impact on your physical health.
A healthy diet (a Mediterranean diet) also reduces the risk of mental health problems, such as depression.

Healthy (or at least healthier) eating starts with scrutinising your diet. Which foods give you energy and which drain it? A healthy lunch box or snacks provide the right nutrients and help curb impulsive snacking.

Adopt healthy eating habits. Allow yourself an occasional less-healthy splurge and be sure to enjoy it.
 

Read more:

- Healthy eating in the workplace: boost the vitality of employees
- The new food pyramid: healthy eating at home and at work