For most of us, enjoying a long weekend to celebrate Memorial Day is a welcome reprieve.  However, getting back to work on Tuesday can bring stress in trying to get 5 days worth of work done in 4 days.  How do you maintain the relaxed feeling that you found in your long weekend, without letting the stress of responsibilities overtake you?  It could be time to take stock of your resiliency skills. 

Resiliency skills are specific ways of responding to stress including how we think, react, and cope.  These skills develop from a lifetime of challenges and outcomes.  There may start out as genetic or cultural, but most resilient people learn these habits from role models and practice.  Each time we live through, and adapt to, a change or a trauma, we have an opportunity to build on our resiliency skills. 

Out of all the resiliency skills, the one that seems to be the most important is our ability to “re-frame” our experience.  These re-framed experiences get filed in our memory so we can draw on them later.  Some examples are: 

–       Repetitive use of constructive aphorisms such as “this too will pass,” or “it could be worse” 

–       Using laughter and humor in tough situations 

–       Seeing the glass half-full, instead of half-empty, such as finding a bright side to a change in leadership 

Observe your ability to re-frame this week as you face obstacles along the way.  If you can re-frame more often, you will feel less stress at the end of the week and you’ll inspire your work group to see the brighter side along with you. 

What can you re-frame today?