"Is all of this resiliency stuff that you talk about really that important Lance?"
Of course, you would know what my response was, "Yes".
There are a few ways of getting depression, of becoming unwell as I refer to it, the most common one today for leaders and managers is from burnout. Who would have thought that working hard could hurt you?
In a work context, often how people 'fall over' is when they are placed under too much pressure. Pressure is good for us, it excites us, stimulates us, keeps us focussed and we are often at our best when under pressure. We can all handle a bit of pressure from time to time, in fact we need it to keep us motivated.
However, when pressure becomes relentless, we may become overwhelmed if we aren't looking after ourselves. And that can lead to us thinking that we are under stress. Stress is internal, it is you telling yourself that you are stressed. No person can make you stressed, or stress you out, it is simply your internal reaction to their external action. Instead, tell yourself that you are "busy" and that you need to slow down.
At this stage, if you have been under pressure for too long and perhaps telling yourself that you are stressed, you could go into depression. People become sullen, unmotivated, and lethargic when they are under lots of pressure and can't see a way out. There is usually a catalyst at this point, something unintended, something that comes out of the blue. Often it is something personal that strikes us in our hearts.
Negative thoughts flood in, we isolate ourselves from others, become moody, have trouble focusing, start making mistakes, try to keep busy, and worst of all, don't tell anyone as we try to work through it alone.
While this is usually the pattern we go through when work gets the better of us, there are variables.
Know that if you are doing a lot of self-talking, trying to keep yourself busy, not going out as much as you used to, not wanting to talk with others, have lost the urge to do spontaneous things, don't smile as much as you once did, and cannot look others in the eye, then you need to make some changes.
Pressure is a good thing, too much of it can be detrimental to your wellbeing. Prevention is the key, and this is achieved through balance.
Let's talk!
"Is This Resiliency Stuff Important?"