The Key to Coping with Stress: Resiliency

IStressn the last few weeks, we’ve seen two disturbing shootings at college campuses. We’ve probably all wondered whether this kind of violence could happen at UMKC – it’s worrying, to say the least. People who’ve lived through these appalling events must work through extreme levels of stress.

Thankfully, the odds of experiencing a mass shooting are low. What’s much more likely is that our day-to-day work demands create ongoing, chronic stress that eats away at our productivity, energy, and intrinsic satisfaction. The better we learn to cope with stress, the more we can enjoy work and life.

An important key to coping with stress is resiliency. Being resilient means having the skills and abilities to move through difficult, stressful times and thrive. It’s discussed in organizational behavior textbooks and researched by top scholars in psychology and business. Resilient faculty are better able to bounce back from set-backs, deal better with ambiguity, and respond to constant change and multiple demands.

What is resiliency? Resilient faculty:

  • Are optimistic
  • Have a sense of humor
  • Are adaptable in changing times
  • Manage negative feelings by using positive coping skills
  • Have fun
  • Build close relationships
  • Seek support both in getting things done and getting emotional support
  • See stress as an opportunity to learn and grow
  • Recognize there’s a limit to what they can control
  • Apply skills and abilities to make decisions and control outcomes, where possible
  • Plan their actions
  • Are able to find meaning or coherence in work and life
  • Have a sense of spirituality in a broad sense – they search for meaning and purpose

How resilient are you? If you’re interested, this link, from the National Center for the Victims of Crime, takes you to a self-test that assesses your resiliency.

What if your feelings of work-related stress are overwhelming your resiliency? UMKC offers several avenues to help:

  • UMKC Counseling Center – can help you manage psychological implications of work-related stress.
  • UMKC’s EAP (Employee Assistance Program) – provides services to help address personal issues affecting your work life.
  • UMKC’s Faculty Ombudsperson – My office is a confidential first step in figuring out the best resolution option for any workplace problem. Visit umkc.edu/facultyombuds for more information about what an ombuds is and how I can be helpful.