How to Maintain Resilience When You Work 24/7

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Many people are required to be available for work 24/7. We carry mobile devices that we regularly check after hours for emails, and we are expected to be able to respond to a text or phone call immediately, even when on vacation. Today's "new normal," with many of us working remotely, has increased the pressure on employees to be available around the clock.

The problem with this work style is that it rarely allows for true leisure time. Employees have less control over non-work activities and less time for recovery.

One study linked extended work availability - not being at work but expected to be available by phone or email - with decreased calmness and energy levels. The possibility of being needed to work was enough to impede recovery.

In this study, participants showed elevated cortisol levels when on-call, similar to cortisol levels due to job stress. The authors speculated that the body was preparing for the anticipated stress.

In contrast, participants who did not think about work or were detached from their work had lower cortisol levels and were more likely to recoup their energies and improve their moods. "Non-work hours during which employees are expected to respond to work issues constrain employee behavior," say the authors of the current study, "and cannot be considered leisure time."

While it is hard to create recovery time given the realities of a 24/7 work environment, doing so will help you maintain your resilience despite the constant stress. Here are some tips on how to make time for recovery when 24/7 is your work reality:

Set Times for Emails

Identify ahead of time how often and at what times you will check your work email after hours. Communicate this information to your boss and your team. Turn off your email notifications. Setting a time will prevent you from continually checking during your time off.

Establish a Duty Roster

Even an informal duty roster can give fellow teammates time off from checking email. Identify who will be reviewing emails and who won't. Inform the person on duty when you want to get a phone call or text about something urgent.

Trust Your Backup

Go on vacation and empower the person who fills in for you. Ensure they are well briefed on issues and give them the authority to make decisions while you're gone. Then, stay off the email (or read your email at a designated time without responding). You must trust your backup if you want to really be off the clock.

Plan in Advance

Schedule your leave as far in advance as possible. Planning gives everyone more time to prepare for your absence. Don't cancel your vacation unless there is a once-in-a-lifetime, dire emergency. Remember, you can trust your backup to address anything that happens while you're gone.

Set Expectations

When starting a new position or when you get a new boss, discuss expectations of work availability. Make clear what works and does not work for you and why.

Take Short Recovery Breaks

Take several short breaks every day that give you quick recovery periods. Eat lunch away from your desk and mobile device. Take a 10-minute walk. Run a quick errand or watch a funny video.

How do you find time to recover in a 24/7 work environment?

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To learn more about how you and your team can thrive in adversity, visit my website, and follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. And, check out my online Resilience Leadership course.

The Amazing Power of Music in a Crisis

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In the first few months after coronavirus spread throughout the world in 2020, there was an explosion of group singalongs around the world. People sang from their balconies in Italy, the United States, and Canada. Others used technology to sing together virtually.

In Columbus, children played cellos from their porch so an elderly neighbor could hear. A Dutch orchestra gave a virtual performance of Ode to Joy.

There's a reason so many people broke out into song during this health crisis. Music, particularly singing, helps people stay resilient despite chronic stress and adversity. Singing with other people is even more beneficial.

Research suggests that creating music together evolved as a tool of social living. Groups and tribes sang and danced to build loyalty, transmit vital information, and ward off enemies. 

Numerous studies demonstrate that music reduces anxiety and stress, and improves mood and performance. Some research suggests that music enhances our immune system by reducing the stress hormone cortisol and boosting the Immunoglobin A antibody. Researchers found that group singing builds social bonds, strengthening the connections we need for resilience.

Singing may promote a sense of happiness and well-being. Researchers found that people feel more positive after actively singing than they do after passively listening to music or chatting about positive life events. SoundFro.com lists 15 ways singing can benefit your health, including lowering blood pressure, improving memory, and boosting confidence.

In This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, rocker turned neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin writes that music is fundamental to human beings. He argues that music serves as an indicator of cognitive, emotional, and physical health and is evolutionarily advantageous as a force that leads to social bonding and increased fitness.

Luckily, we can all sing. During this crisis, make an effort to sing every day. If you’re bored singing along to the radio or YouTube videos, check out online karaoke sites or join a virtual choir. If you can’t carry a tune, no one will judge your performance in the shower! Do you sing during a crisis?

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To learn more about how you and your team can thrive in adversity, visit my website, and follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. And, check out my online Resilience Leadership course.

Use Photography to Rebuild Your Resilience

Photo by author

For many of us, COVID-19 has been traumatic. Years of chronic stress have worn us down and many of us are struggling with low resilience. When I was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after my service in Iraq, I used photography to explore my feelings, establish self-awareness, and deal with emotional conflicts. Thanks to photography, I fully recovered.

I’m not the only person who used photography to recover from mental illness. In this powerful TedTalk, Bryce Evans describes how he beat depression through the use of photography. He now teaches people how to use therapeutic photography to learn, heal, and grow.

Several research studies confirm the power of photography for improving wellbeing. One study found that taking a daily photo improved well-being through self-care, community interaction, and the potential for reminiscence. It led to more exercise and provided a sense of purpose, competence, and achievement. Posting the photo online helped people to manage loneliness and grief and to meet new people with shared interests.

Other researchers found that a photography project for women living with HIV/AIDs supported their mental health. It facilitated empowerment and helped women express themselves. It also provided new tools that helped them process past traumas.

Veterans in out-patient mental health treatment who enrolled in a six-week photography workshop reported a positive impact on their recovery. Taking photographs while in recovery improved their personal reflection and organization of thinking. Photography also promoted recovery discussions, communication, social support, and a sense of purpose.

Photography also fosters the five resilience factors in the following ways:

Self-Care

Taking time to recover is essential for taking care of ourselves. While meditation is the best way to rest our brains by focusing on only one thing at a time, I’ve never been able to meditate. Instead, photography is my meditation. Photography is a mindfulness practice that forces me to focus on the present and leaves me feeling calm and rested.

Problem-Solving

Learning to accept what we cannot control or influence is a powerful problem-solving skill. Photography is one of the best ways to develop this skill since we are forced to accept current conditions and adapt our camera settings to create an appealing photograph. When we use our mental muscles to accept what we cannot control in photography, it helps us do the same in other areas of our lives.

Positive Outlook

Reframing is one of the best ways to shift from a negative to a more positive view of any situation. Luckily, photographers reframe all the time. We’ll explore a subject through different frames until we find the most effective photograph. We may take a wide-angle view, or use a macro for a close-up. We’ll look at a subject from different angles to find the most positive image. Learning to reframe will also help us avoid getting stuck in negativity, and instead find a new, more positive way of viewing something.

Meaning and Purpose

Having a passion is a powerful way to bring meaning and purpose into your life. I’m passionate about photography and spend time watching instructional videos, taking classes, and reading books. When I’m feeling stressed, I research possible photography trips or learn a new photography technique.

Social Support

Photographers are great people and a very welcoming community. There are photography clubs and MeetUps in most cities that are easily accessible. Many people take photography tours regularly, making new friends every trip. As an introvert, I find photography related events appealing because I don’t feel as drained of energy afterward.

After a trauma or period of chronic stress, I use photography to rebuild my resilience. Are you a photographer? What impact has photography has on your resilience and wellbeing?

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To learn more about how you and your team can thrive in adversity, visit my website, and follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. And, check out my online Resilience Leadership course.  

Want an Energy Boost? Learn to Breathe

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I learned to breathe in India. My yoga instructor taught me to take a deep breath, expanding my belly, and then pause and exhale slowly to the count of five. I repeated this four times and felt remarkably calmer and centered afterward.

My instructor called it Pranayama. Others call it controlled or abdominal breathing. It doesn't matter what you call it or what technique works best for you. Any controlled breathing will increase your energy, release stress, sharpen mental clarity, and improve your resilience.

According to the New York Times, science is beginning to provide evidence that the benefits of this ancient practice are physiological as well as psychological. Studies have found, for example, that breathing practices can help reduce symptoms associated with anxiety, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and attention deficit disorder.

A study in China found that eight weeks of intensive diaphragmatic breathing training improved cognition, emotion, and physiological responses. Even a 1-day breathing exercise relieved the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization induced by job burnout. "Breathing is massively practical," says Belisa Vranich, a psychologist and author of the book "Breathe.” “It’s a meditation for people who can’t meditate.”

How controlled breathing promotes wellbeing is still unclear. Some researchers are studying how controlled breathing changes our autonomic nervous system. When we practice controlled breathing, our brain may adjust the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system, slowing our heart rate and digestion and promoting feelings of calm.

Controlled breathing may also affect our immune system. At the Medical University of South Carolina, researchers studied two groups of adults. One group did two sets of 10-minute breathing exercises while the other read a text of their choice for 20 minutes. They tested the volunteers' saliva at various times during the exercise. Individuals doing the breathing exercise had significantly lower levels of several chemicals associated with inflammation and stress.

Have you tried controlled breathing? If so, what impact has it had on your resilience?

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To learn more about how you and your team can thrive in adversity, visit my website, and follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. And, check out my online Resilience Leadership course.

It's Time to Plan Your Next Vacation

Today is National Plan for Vacation Day. Do you have summer vacation plans yet? If not, you may be one of the 47% of Americans who do not take all of their vacation time.

Why don’t we take a vacation when studies show that taking time off from work, and work-related emails, lowers levels of fatigue and job burnout? Many of us are so overwhelmed with work, we cannot imagine taking time away. However, if you come back rested from vacation, your performance will probably improve. You’ll be better at solving problems and other creative tasks.

Coronavirus had made vacation planning exceptionally challenging. Without knowing when it will be safe to travel, many of us are reluctant to book flights and hotel rooms. We don’t want to be disappointed when our vacation plans fall through. Still, the benefits of planning your next vacation are probably worth taking the risks of having to change plans. Check out this blog for vacation ideas during a global pandemic.

During my last few years in the State Department, I had a tradition of taking at least a week off every winter and summer. Just before I left for a vacation, I started planning my next one. This way I would always be planning and looking forward to a trip. This tradition did wonders for my resilience and work productivity.

In 2021, I had several trips planned even though I knew there was a chance coronavirus would cause me to cancel. Luckily, each trip fell during COVID lulls so I got very lucky. I’ve done the same for 2022, planning for the worst and hoping for the best!

Here are some tips on how you can ensure you are taking regular vacations:

Plan Ahead

Get approval for your leave and block vacation days on your calendar six months or more in advance. Buy your plane ticket and make reservations. This way when your vacation comes around, you have no excuse to postpone or cancel. Waiting for the right time to take a break rarely works since it’s never a good time.

Prepare Your Backup

Having a well-briefed, reliable backup is essential to taking leave. Trust your backup to act on your behalf while you're gone. If you're a manager, give explicit authority to the acting manager to make decisions and keep the team moving. Don't second guess your backup once you return to the office. So what if you would have done it differently or even better - giving someone authority gives you freedom. It’s worth it.

Don’t Check Emails

I used to check my emails every morning while on vacation, rationalizing that this kept me from feeling overwhelmed by emails on my first day back in the office. The problem with this practice is that I then never really disconnected. My backup wasn't empowered to act since she knew I was checking in daily. And, I never got a real break because I started my day thinking about the office and that thinking lingered through the day. To avoid an email backlog, set aside a few hours or even a full day at the end of your vacation to tackle your inbox.

Communicate Expectations

Draw clear boundaries and communicate these to your colleagues. Let your staff know that you will not check your emails while on leave. Instead, provide a phone number for dire emergencies (define emergency). Let your team know that you've given your backup authority to act on your behalf. Inform your boss that you will not be available except in an emergency and convey your confidence in your backup. Leave an out-of-office message stating that you will not be checking your emails, whom to contact in your absence, and that it will take several days to review emails upon your return.

Consider a Staycation

Vacations do not have to be expensive, elaborate events. Some of my favorite breaks from work have been the times I stayed home and explored my city. And, this is a great way to vacation during coronavirus. Here’s a great article on how to plan the best staycation ever.

Enjoy Your Vacation

With work out of the way, enjoy your leave. Spend time with friends and family once it’s safe to do so, pursue a passion, or do nothing. Let your mind go wherever it takes you and if it takes you to work from time to time, shift your thoughts somewhere else. You'll be thankful you took a real vacation once you return to the office refreshed and resilient. And, if you're a manager, you'll set an excellent example, for your staff to follow.

What helps you take and enjoy your vacations? How have you adapted due to coronavirus?

___________________________

To learn more about how you and your team can thrive in adversity, visit my website, and follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. And, check out my online Resilience Leadership course.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is an Inspiring Resilience Role Model

This week we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man who brought hope and healing to America. Thanks to his resilience, Dr. King was able to accomplish goals that seemed impossible and out of reach.

Dr. King's resilience allowed him to be flexible, adapt quickly, and collaborate well with others. He made quick and effective decisions in a crisis and persisted despite adversity.

What made Dr. King such a resilient person and a leader who inspired resilience within the civil rights community?

Religion

A few years ago, I visited Montgomery, Alabama, and was privileged to tour the church where Dr. King served as a pastor. I learned how much Dr. King looked to his religion for meaning and purpose. While having a religious belief is not required for resilience, studies consistently show that being a member of a religious community can enhance resilience.

Social Support

Dr. King reached out to his wife Coretta, the rest of his immediate family, and members of their church to support and encourage him during his years of struggle. When I toured his home in Montgomery, the guides described the importance he placed on his family and how they would host social gatherings to draw support from friends in the community. Dr. King surrounded himself with people whom he could lean on and who helped him endure.

Recovery Time

Dr. King's days were long and arduous. They took a toll on him physically and mentally. What struck me when visiting his home was how he created space for contemplation and recovery. He would spend hours in his office praying, reading, and thinking. Taking this time allowed him to recover from stress and hardship.

Altruism

Dr. King believed strongly in helping others. When sanitation workers went on strike in Memphis, he gave his support because he wanted to help others in need. Staff at the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis told me that Dr. King was tempted not to go to the church to give his Mountaintop speech because it was pouring rain, and he was tired. Dr. King went anyway because he wanted to support the striking workers. In this remarkable speech, he explained that the question he posed to himself was not, "If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me?" The question was, "If I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?"

Reframing

Dr. King was a master at reframing negative situations, which allowed him to maintain a positive outlook despite tragedy. He knew that staying mired in negativity and hatred would erode his resilience and lead to bitterness. In his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, he reframed the civil rights movement from a struggle of mighty proportions to an inspiring dream embraced by many.

Staying positive wasn't always easy, especially when white extremists bombed his house. In his autobiography, he wrote: “While I lay in that quiet front bedroom, I began to think of the viciousness of people who would bomb my home. I could feel the anger rising when I realized that my wife and baby could have been killed. I was once more on the verge of corroding hatred. And once more I caught myself and said: ‘You must not allow yourself to become bitter.’ ”

How do you draw inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?

 ___________________________ 

To learn more about how you and your team can thrive in adversity, visit my website, and follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. And, check out my online Resilience Leadership course.

Want to Be More Productive? Take Breaks!

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Many people assume that the more time they spend working, the more productive they will be. We worry that if we don't stay on task all the time, we won't be effective. This assumption is wrong.

When it comes to productivity, it is not the number of hours we devote, but the level of energy we bring to each hour we spend on a task. If we have high energy, it will take fewer hours to complete a task.

Building regular breaks into your work routine will reenergize you and therefore make you much more effective. It will also improve your focus, creativity, and concentration.

Researchers recommend taking a short, 10-minute break every 90 minutes. Here are several activities you can do in 5-10 minutes for a quick energy boost.

Stretch

Stretches have the added benefit of countering the harmful effects of sitting at a computer all day. Here's my favorite five-minute full-body stretch.

Go for a Walk

Go outside and walk around the block. Visit a local park. The fresh air and change of scenery will give you a mental boost. 

Have a Healthy Snack

Brains burn glucose, a form of sugar. When we work hard, we use up our glucose, and a healthy snack provides the fuel we need to focus and concentrate. Keep a supply of fruit, yogurt, nuts, or sliced vegetables at work to avoid eating too much sugar from the vending machine.

Make a Cup of Tea

The time it takes to boil water and steep a tea bag is the perfect amount of time for a break. If you don't have a kitchen at work, consider buying a tea kettle for your workspace. Stand up, fill the pot with water, choose the type of tea you want, and spend a few quiet moments while the tea steeps. The added benefit is that you now have a nice cup of tea as you restart your work.

Work on a Jigsaw Puzzle

I'm a fan of having puzzles, coloring books, and other creative outlets at work. Spending 5-10 minutes being creative provides a quick energy boost. Warning - set your stopwatch to avoid losing track of time.

Clean Your Work Area

Cleaning and organizing clear the mind and will also give you a sense of accomplishment. Be careful not to substitute cleaning and organizing for actual work.

Listen to Music

Stream two of your favorite songs. Close your eyes and lose yourself in the moment. Focus only on the music, letting your mind go where the music takes you. When you're finished, you'll be amazed by how much energy this gives you.

Talk to Coworkers

Say hi to a colleague, ask about her weekend, hobbies, or family. Don't talk about work. You may be tempted to chat for more than 5-10 minutes, so watch the time. 

Tend Plants

Plants add life and vibrancy to a workspace. Check the soil to see if they need water, prune the stems, and polish the leaves.

Meditate

There are hundreds of apps now that provide 5-10 minute guided meditations. Go someplace quiet and spend a few minutes resting your brain. Praying offers the same benefits as meditation so if you're religious, build in a prayer break. 

What do you do on your breaks from work?

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To learn more about how you and your team can thrive in adversity, visit my website, and follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. And, check out my online Resilience Leadership course.

Hobbies Are Not a Waste of Time

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Do you have a hobby, something you do just because you enjoy it and it makes you feel good? If not, ask yourself why. Too many people view hobbies as frivolous, something we should only do when we have time leftover from our "real" priorities. We don't feel productive when engaged in a hobby, so we think we are wasting time.

The reality is that hobbies have a positive impact on our work productivity, even if we don't see it directly. Many hobbies rest our brains and allow us to recover and rejuvenate.

A 2009 study showed that more time spent on leisure activities correlated with lower blood pressure, lower levels of depression and stress, and overall better psychological and physical functioning. Hobbies can also jump-start your creativity, or allow your mind to wander and look at issues from a new angle.

If you already have a hobby, schedule time for the activity instead of waiting until you have time left over. If you don't have a hobby, make it a priority to find one. Here are some tips on finding a hobby as an adult:

Go Back to Your Childhood

What did you like to do as a child? The chances are that you will still enjoy those activities that gave you so much pleasure. Don't view actions as "childish" or something you should have outgrown.

Try Different Options

Give new activities a try and see if they stick. Ask friends if you can join them for their hobbies, take a class, or attend a club meeting. If a hobby isn't working, don't hesitate to drop it and try something else.

Revisit Past Hobbies

Did you have hobbies in the past that you dropped? Explore why you stopped and consider picking up an old hobby and trying again. I stopped photographing for years and realized that I was intimidated by digital cameras. One photography class solved that problem, and I've been creating photos ever since. 

What Are Your Guilty Pleasures?

What do you like to do on vacation? How do you spend money when you're frivolous? These may be keys to a hobby you'll find engaging and rewarding.

Establish a Hobby Budget

If you don't engage in hobbies because of the expense, consider starting a new bank account with automatic deposits to provide a pot of money you are always allowed to spend on the hobby despite other priorities. I've kept a travel bank account for years, and I never feel guilty spending these funds. 

Banish the Guilt

Hobbies are activities you do for sheer pleasure. Hobbies don't need to earn money, and they don't need to be part of a self-improvement effort. Stop feeling guilty about being unproductive and instead remind yourself that constant productivity is harmful in the long run.

Are you struggling to find a hobby? Check out this extensive guide and this article for more guidance on how to find a new hobby.

How does your hobby impact your resilience?

 ___________________________

To learn more about how you and your team can thrive in adversity, visit my website, and follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. And, check out my online Resilience Leadership course.

Take a Mental Health Day

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A "mental health day" is when an employee takes sick leave to focus on their mental well-being. Mental health days can be controversial if management perceives them to be a misuse of sick leave or just an excuse to play hooky.

Some employees are reluctant to take a mental health day because they believe it is a sign of weakness; they should not need a day off to focus on themselves.

However, if you are feeling run down and experiencing characteristics of low resilience, you are just as impaired as if you have a cold or the flu. Taking a mental health day will help you recharge and improve your resilience, resulting in higher productivity at work. Supervisors who encourage mental health days will find their employees are more effective in the long run.

Here's some advice on how to spend a day away from work recharging:

Plan Ahead

Schedule your mental health day at least a week in advance, so your boss and co-workers are prepared. Plan your mental health day during a slow time in the office. Check the calendar and your schedule to ensure your day off works for everyone.

Be Honest

Don’t violate your organization’s HR rules or lie to your supervisor. If your office frowns on taking sick leave for mental health reasons, explain why you need the day off and how it will positively impact your performance once you’re back at work.

Plan Your Day

Unstructured free time is not always relaxing. Use your mental health day to engage in resilience-enhancing activities instead of doing errands and chores. Pursue a hobby, visit a museum (virtually during the pandemic), or exercise. Focus on yourself. You'll be amazed at how much better you feel once you're back at work.

Don’t Feel Guilty

You may feel uncomfortable or guilty during your day off. Brush this feeling aside. Using sick leave for a mental health day is legitimate and restorative.

Three-Day Weekends are Great

If possible, try to pick a Friday or a Monday if you don't work on weekends. Three days without working can do miracles. If that isn’t possible, taking a day off mid-week can also be beneficial.

Keep it to Yourself

If you post your mental health day activities on social media, you may be disturbed by unwanted attention. Think twice before posting.

Do you take mental health days?  How do you make them work for you?

___________________________

To learn more about how you and your team can thrive in adversity, visit my website, and follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. And, check out my online Resilience Leadership course.

Are You Feeling Stressed From Coronavirus? Try Coloring

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If chronic stress from the coronavirus is eroding your resilience and you’re looking for a quick and inexpensive way to de-stress and rest your brain, consider coloring.

After her 10-week-old son's death, Dee Ledger found that coloring calmed her nerves and helped soothe her grief.

Devin Kent started coloring after a bad car accident left her with extreme anxiety. Coloring leaves her calm and confident, able to conquer the world.

Lydia Mansel discovered that coloring left her with fewer headaches and less back pain. When she started coloring, her sleep improved, and she ate less. 

Research supports the wealth of anecdotal evidence that coloring helps people recover from stress and trauma.

A 2006 study found that art therapy for women with cancer helped significantly decrease physical and emotional distress during their treatment. Another study found that coloring an intricate geometric design reduced anxiety among undergraduate students. 

According to psychologist Nikki Martinez, coloring can calm down our amygdala, the part of the brain that, when active, keeps individuals in a heightened state of worry, panic, and hyper-vigilance. She explains that coloring can have an exceptionally recuperative effect by taking you out of your present stresses and concerns.

Craig Sawchuk, a clinical psychologist at the Mayo Clinic, says that coloring books work like other mindfulness techniques such as yoga and meditation. Coloring can help slow down your heart rate and respiration, loosen muscles and stimulate the brain.

Sawchuk recommends that people who are new to coloring start slow, with a limited amount of time, and gradually increase every few days. He explains that some people focus better while working on simple symmetrical designs while others benefit from more complex, abstract patterns. People should try both types to see what works for them.

It’s not surprising that coloring books for adults are best-sellers. One of the first coloring books specifically for adults is Johanna Basford’s Secret Garden, and it has sold more than 11 million copies in 22 languages since its release in Spring 2013. In France, the publisher Hachette's release of "Art-Therapie: 100 Coloriages Anti-Stress" was such a success that Hachette launched 20 more coloring books, selling nearly 20 million copies. 

There are thousands of coloring books adults can choose from and many websites that offer free coloring pages. If you’re looking for a quick way to build resilience and recover from stress during this global pandemic, give coloring a try.

Do you color? What impact does it have on your resilience and wellbeing?

I help individuals and teams thrive in adversity by providing practical skills and tools I developed over several decades as a U.S. diplomat in challenging environments. Visit my website to learn more about how I can help you and your team better adapt to stress and adversity. With resilience skills and tools, you and your team will be more creative, innovative, and collaborative. Resilient individuals and teams are less likely to suffer from burnout and are more open to change. Follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.