Not born with it? You can build it
“Do not judge me by my success,” Nelson Mandela once said. “Judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” Resilience is what that’s called. It may be the most important mental health tool in any meeting prof’s toolkit—because missteps, mistakes and just plain hot messes will certainly occur despite all your careful planning and checklists. Here’s how to rebound and be stronger to face the job’s—and life’s—challenges.
Amanda McNeil, a veteran event planner in Australia, asserts, “Resilience is more than just a buzzword in event planning. And it’s what separates the good from the great…being resilient is your greatest asset.” She cites things like remaining calm under pressure, staying focused and being able to switch quickly to Plan B.
Yet scientific research confirms that resilience is not something you’re born with. Your genetics may play a role, but more important is your upbringing. A report from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child concluded that having a strong, positive adult relationship is the key ingredient in developing resiliency as a child.
Read More: Building Healthy Habits: Resiliency Training for Events
“Resilience depends on supportive, responsive relationships and mastering a set of capabilities that can help us respond and adapt to adversity in healthy ways,” says Harvard’s Jack Shonkoff, who oversaw the report.
As adults, relationships continue to matter most. Ben E. King had it right when he wrote the pop classic “Stand by Me”:
If the sky that we look upon/ Should tumble and fall/ Or the mountains should crumble to the sea/ I won’t cry, I won’t cry / No, I won’t shed a tear/ Just as long as you stand, stand by me.
The Mayo Clinic agrees: “Resilience isn’t about putting up with something tough or coping on your own. In fact, being able to reach out to others for support is a key part of being resilient.”
Medical experts say the more resilient you are, the better you can ward off mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. But can you hone your resiliency? Can you become ur-resilient? Mayo Clinic, like other medical settings, offers formal resiliency training for this, but it also highlights steps we can take on our own. These deceptively simple steps combine to strengthen healthy habits that can underpin your resiliency.
“Resilience isn’t about coping on your own. Reaching out to others for support is a key part of being resilient.”
Rx for Resilience
Build those aforementioned strong relationships. With your work colleagues, friends and loved ones. Away from the office, volunteering and joining like-minded groups enhance your support network.
Read More: 5 Tips for Positive and Profitable Planner-Vendor Relations
Cultivate a sense of purpose. You’re already helping groups further important goals, but also make sure to set your own daily goals to give meaning and a sense of accomplishment to your efforts.
Draw lessons from your past. How did you cope in the face of earlier challenges, and what can you take from those experiences? Journaling gives you a ready reference for what’s worked best (or hasn’t).
Stay positive. Even if it’s hard, know the sun will shine again. Be open to new ways to escape any present gloom.
Go to your happy places. Part of taking care of your own needs and feelings is making time to do what you enjoy. Hobbies. Relaxing activities like meditation, yoga or just reflecting on all you are grateful for. Do this, hopefully, in combination with a healthy diet and regular physical activity, both of which aid in mental resets.
Even if resilience won’t make your problems disappear, it can help you see beyond them. And as you build your resiliency reserve, remember that bouncing back from setbacks is a learned behavior just like any other. The more you do it successfully, the better you get at it.
Brought to you by Caesars Entertainment
This article appears in the September 2024 issue. You can subscribe to the magazine here.
