Resilience Through a Compassionate and Trauma-Informed Lens

In my experience, resilience is often misunderstood, particularly in workplace cultures, where it can be equated with toughness, invulnerability, or simply pushing through challenges without any acknowledgement for the profound effect on our stress levels. I’ve always found it quite bizarre that vulnerability is all-to-often perceived as weakness - in my opinion, this is an outdated and unhelpful approach that is a fast pass to burnout and emotional suppression, the consequences of which lead to a toxic culture of blame to the proverbial ‘they’, ie. company leaders.

A trauma-informed perspective invites us to redefine resilience by developing the capacity to move through challenges with support, self-awareness, and emotional authenticity.

A stoical approach to managing stress can seem effective, after all, it’s easier all round if we just ‘put up and shut up’, without expressing or even noticing the profound effect on our nervous system, however, in the longer-term, the effect on productivity (and most likely, profitability) is likely to be the opposite. When we experience high levels of stress, our nervous systems are primed to react - we fight, we flight or we freeze - the most common reaction when under high stress at work being ‘flight’ with irritablity, anxiety, urgency to get things done, fixating on details, perfectionism and procrastination to name a few symptomatic behaviours. This flight response becomes truncated, ie. stuck and can result in a destructive cycle where we are constantly primed to keep ‘doing’ - this is the most common reason for chronic stress and burnout that I see in my therapy room.

Vulnerability and an open culture is key

Here are a few key statements that couldn’t be more true:

• Vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness. Being honest about challenges allows us to seek help and form deeper connections.

• Resilience is relational. It’s cultivated through healthy, supportive and trusting relationships, not in isolation.

• Adversity can shape growth. When processed with compassion, difficult experiences can become opportunities for self-awareness and growth.

So how do we support our employees to develop resilience?

To create a workplace culture that nurtures resilience through a compassionate and trauma-informed approach, leaders can:

• Normalise conversations about challenges by modeling vulnerability. Leaders who openly share their struggles create an environment of psychological safety, encouraging others to do the same.

• Offer access to mental health resources, peer support networks, and training on emotional regulation techniques 

• Celebrate growth, adaptability, and the courage to ask for help, rather than focusing solely on "toughing it out."

• Build a culture where employees feel supported by their colleagues and managers, reinforcing that they don’t have to navigate challenges alone.

• Equip leaders with tools to understand trauma and how it can affect behaviour, emotions, and resilience-building processes.

  
  

By redefining resilience through a trauma-informed and compassionate lens, organisations can create the foundations for a healthier workforce where employees feel supported, reducing staff absence and facilitating quicker, more sustainable returns to work.