Resilience – Why should you care about it? (Day 1)

Resilience Blog

Why Should You Care About Resiliency?

Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.- Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela faced challenges in his life beyond what most of us can comprehend. The above quote exemplifies his infinite optimism that makes him one of the most revered heroes in history. In fact, we all know of personal heroes- family members, friends or coworkers who have overcome all the odds with unrelenting spirit. One of my personal heroes is one of my best friends who remains optimistic despite all the personal and family challenges she faces. So, what makes this group of people different from those who struggle to handle difficulties and who can’t seem to adapt? It all comes down to one trait- resilience.

Resilience is loosely defined as the psychological capacity to adapt to stressful circumstances and to bounce back from adverse events. (https://hbr.org/2017/08/the-dark-side-of-resilience) It is a human quality that is integral to coping with stress at all life stages however its importance in college and the workplace is increasingly being studied and documented. Studies reveal that 30% of college students reported that stress has negatively affected their academic performance, 85% of students reported feeling overwhelmed by their responsibilities and 41.6% of students claimed anxiety is their top concern. (https://adaa.org/finding-help/helping-others/college-students/facts) These statistics are mirrored in the workplace. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 25% of all employees view jobs as the number one stressor in their lives and 75% of employees believe the worker today has more on-the-job stress than a generation ago. (https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/99-101/) Additionally, a study of 100,000 employees around the world revealed that 82.6% of all emotional health cases were attributed to employee depression, stress and anxiety across most continents. (https://hbr.org/2016/06/627-building-resilience-ic-5-ways-to-build-your-personal-resilience-at-work).

It is no secret that pressure in college and the workplace is detrimental to an individual’s wellness and productivity. However, with increasing globalization, connectivity and a rapid change in education and work culture, cultivating resilience within ourselves is more important now than ever to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

But how exactly do we do that? In this five-part blog-series, we explore the issue in depth and identify methods to build resilience that you can implement in your daily life. We seek to show you that resilience is a skill set that can be built and exercised and one that will lead you to a more fulfilled life.

About the Author:

Roshni Ramaswamy has recently graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology, majoring in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and a proud mentee of the WINGS Signature Program. She is a Project Engineer at Environmental Planning Specialists. She enjoys sharing her perspectives on mentoring, resilience, academic life, professional development among a myriad other topics. Follow Roshni at the link shared for her viewpoints.