10 tips to make your employees mentally resilient

Every employee sometimes faces a setback – a failed project or problems at home. Resilient employees have the ability to cope with these setbacks, they are mentally resilient. As an employer, how do you make sure your employees are able to bounce back? We can help you with these 10 tips.

Worsening staff shortages and increasing workloads are making the working environment ever more turbulent and stressful. Resilient employees are good at coping with this kind of environment, because they are emotionally stable when confronting setbacks and flexible in the face of change.

More energy and reduced staff absences

Investing in the mental resilience of your employees pays dividends. Because resilient employees have more energy and positive emotion and take less time off sick. As a rule, they are also more enthusiastic and committed to their work.

Tips for the employer

As the employer, you have a key role to play in increasing the mental resilience of your employees. We can help you with these 4 tips.

Set a good example
Setting enough rest and relaxation plus having control over their own work make employees mentally resilient. As an employer, demonstrate that taking time for yourself after work is a good thing and that you cannot control everything and are willing to delegate.
Create a socially safe working environment
A socially safe environment in which employees treat each other with respect, are able to be themselves, are allowed to make mistakes and where there is no room for inappropriate behaviour has a positive effect on the mental resilience of employees.
Become a learning organisation
Employees who are able to develop and grow build greater resilience. So make sure your employees encourage each other to grow, support each other when they make mistakes and compliment each other on their successes.
Give your employees autonomy and opportunities to organise things for themselves
Employees who are allowed to organise their own work and are able to do their work at their own pace are more mentally resilient. So as an employer, target results over process and content.

Tips for the employee

As an employee, there are things you can do right away to increase your resilience. Use our 6 smart tips.

Set yourself goals
Goals help you give direction to your life. Achieving goals gives you energy and makes you feel valuable. As a result, you are promoting your mental resilience. Good to know: big goals give you direction; small goals help you achieve the big goals step by step. For example, if you want to lose 20 kg, set yourself the goal of losing 5 kg, and then another 5 kg.
Make sure you have plenty of energy
Feeling energetic adds to your mental resilience. So regularly do things that give you energy: go outdoors, do exercise every week and eat a healthy diet.
Regularly put yourself first
Time for yourself is important for a calm mind. So schedule activities that you enjoy: watch a movie or go to the sauna. That way, you’ll recharge your batteries and feel mentally resilient.
Think positive
Positive thoughts help make you mentally resilient. So train yourself to think positively, for example by meditating or practising mindfulness. And if something doesn't work out, think about what did go right. Because by looking on the bright side, you experience less stress.
Enjoy the little things
The sun in your face, a cuddle from your child. Experience the little things in your life consciously and enjoy them to the full. That way, you will discover that everyday positive things can positively influence your mental resilience. Need help? Before you go to sleep, think of three things that happened today that you are grateful for.
Start the day with reflection
Generate positive energy and start the day by thinking about what you want to do and the challenges you face. Complete the circle and close the day by thinking about what went well and what could have gone better. That way, you are working on your mental resilience the whole day.