Developing your resilience

Surfing on a book

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Positive mental health in your career

How resilient are you when facing a challenge? Do you give up at the first sign of trouble or do you power through? Your answer will likely depend on what that challenge is, if you have experienced it before, and how you manage difficult situations.

Our mindset and environment affect how quickly we bounce back or submit. In some cases, being surrounded by high-achievers can encourage you to do well too. However, a high concentration of excellence around us can also be intimidating and may distort our perception of our own capability. This is particularly true of high-pressure environments like academia.

It can be tempting, and at times helpful, to compare our own situations with others. But do factor in the wider context. Someone else may excel at the task you struggle with, but it is likely they have difficulties elsewhere. A resilient mindset focuses on how you can overcome a challenge, not on how someone else does.