Resilience may be defined as the ability to bounce back from a negative experience with “competent functioning”; in other words to become strong, healthy or successful again after a failure. The approach allows a person to recover from adversity and engage in life with hope and humor despite devastating losses on his/her path.
Studies have identified several factors to develop and sustain a person’s resilience. Above all, having a positive view of one’s self is an important mindset that helps a person to improve his performance, achievements and quality of life.
It’s not about smiling and denying the negative aspects of reality; Being resilient does not mean that a person doesn’t experience difficulty or distress. The road to resilience can improve one’s state of mind, lead to improved thought patterns, more options and make a real difference in one’s life.
Resilience is a choice and a skill that can be learnt, involving behaviors and actions that can be developed in anyone. A resilient person is able to look for opportunities in problems, has a positive attitude, learns from mistakes and finds power in every situation to overcome difficulties, instead of feeling a victim.
Considering that the human element lies at the heart of the safety culture, the concept of resilience is imperative for shipping industry and other industries as well. Although many rely on KPIs to assess accident/incidents and any other system failure or gap, resilience aims to shift our focus on Safety I concept, in which we learn from our errors, to Safety II concept, in which we learn from our successes.
| Make connections | Good relationships with close family members, friends or others are important. Accepting help and support from those who care about you and will listen to you strengthens resilience. Some people find that being active in civic groups, faith-based organizations, or other local groups provides social support and can help with reclaiming hope. Assisting others in their time of need also can benefit the helper. |
| Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems | You can’t change the fact that highly stressful events happen, but you can change how you interpret and respond to these events. Try looking beyond the present to how future circumstances may be a little better. Note any subtle ways in which you might already feel somewhat better as you deal with difficult situations. |
| Accept that change is a part of living | Certain goals may no longer be attainable as a result of adverse situations. Accepting circumstances that cannot be changed can help you focus on circumstances that you can alter. |
| Move toward your goals | Develop some realistic goals. Do something regularly — even if it seems like a small accomplishment — that enables you to move toward your goals. Instead of focusing on tasks that seem unachievable, ask yourself, “What’s one thing I know I can accomplish today that helps me move in the direction I want to go?” |
| Take decisive actions | Act on adverse situations as much as you can. Take decisive actions, rather than detaching completely from problems and stresses and wishing they would just go away. |
| Look for opportunities for self-discovery | People often learn something about themselves and may find that they have grown in some respect as a result of their struggle with loss. Many people who have experienced tragedies and hardship have reported better relationships, greater sense of strength even while feeling vulnerable, increased sense of self-worth, a more developed spirituality and heightened appreciation for life. |
| Nurture a positive view of yourself | Developing confidence in your ability to solve problems and trusting your instincts helps build resilience. |
| Keep things in perspective | Even when facing very painful events, try to consider the stressful situation in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective. Avoid blowing the event out of proportion. |
| Maintain a hopeful outlook | An optimistic outlook enables you to expect that good things will happen in your life. Try visualizing what you want, rather than worrying about what you fear. |
| Take care of yourself | Pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Engage in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly. Taking care of yourself helps to keep your mind and body primed to deal with situations that require resilience. |
BUILDING RESILIENCE: Read in this series
IMCA RESILIENCE AWARENESS PROGRAMME
Leading IMCA members have come together to develop a Resilience Awareness Programme tailored to the marine contracting industry. A key attribute of a successful organisation is its ability to cope with challenging issues and to bounce back – its capacity to do so is largely dictated by the resilience of its people.
The six videos and accompanying guidance notes explain the main concepts of resilience. The programme is designed to be used by groups of employees, to help promote discussion and share thoughts, so that they become more resilient.
Just navigate to the IMCA website and search for IMCA RESILIENCE AWARENESS PROGRAMME