From Science:
Debra Jackson and colleagues published a literature review on personal resilience as a survival strategy for nurses. 3 It proposed five self-development strategies: Building nurturing professional relationships and networks, staying positive, developing emotional insight, achieving life balance and spirituality, and becoming more reflective. A 2005 dissertation looked at factors that enable resilient doctoral students from nontraditional backgrounds to overcome adversity. 4 The study found that resilient students were more likely to come from families who are supportive of their education, believe in a higher power, have a sense of purpose, have mentors during their graduate school years, view obstacles as challenges, and give back to their communities and to others. Science and engineering attract a sizeable proportion of international students, who face additional stressors: use of a new language, distance from home and family supports, immersion in a new and different culture, and sometimes racism and xenophobia. In one of the first studies to examine resilience among international students, 5 researchers found that a high level of resilience was the best predictor of adjustment in international graduate students.
Taken together, these studies suggest that it's possible to mitigate the ill effects of workplace stress.
The Road To Resilience, a publication developed by the Practice Directorate of the American Psychological Association, 6 identifies 10 ways to build resilience:
-Make connections with people who can provide social support (e.g., mentors, friends, and colleagues)
-Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable and maintain a long-term view toward the future
-Accept that change (and the need to adapt to it) is part of living
-Focus on small steps and realistic goals that can be accomplished on a regular basis
-Take decisive action rather than wishing problems would go away
-Look for opportunities for self-discovery; learn lessons from stress and adversity
-Nurture a positive view of yourself that allows you to trust your instincts
-Maintain perspective and don't blow things out of proportion
-Take care of yourself mentally and physically
-Meditation and spiritual practices are helpful to some people.
More here.
