Building emotional resilience

Building emotional resilience

Emotional resilience is named as mandatory training in the WHISWHIS— World Health Innovation SummitEstablished in 2015 to improve health and wellbeing outcomes through innovation, education and partnerships. Co-developer (with GSPA) of the WHIS Social Prescribing Link Worker programme. programme, and it is not an accident. SPLWsSPLW— Social Prescribing Link WorkerA role that supports people to access community-based services, groups and activities to meet practical, social and emotional needs that affect their health and wellbeing. Used internationally; equivalents in some countries include 'link worker', 'community connector' or 'health navigator'. hear hard things, often. The work has a cumulative emotional weight that, if not tended, leads to exhaustion, cynicism, or worse.

What emotional resilience is — and isn't

It is not "toughening up" or "not letting things get to you". The work should affect you — that is part of what makes it work. Resilience is the ability to feel what's hard, process it, and stay in the work.

The supports the programme expects to be in place

You are entitled to:

• Monthly clinical supervision with a relevant health professional, focused on the emotional impact of the work and reflective practice. This is a non-negotiable expectation.
• Workplace supervision by your line manager — for day-to-day issues, schedule pressures, immediate concerns.
• Peer support networks — locally, regionally and internationally (e.g. through GSPAGSPA— Global Social Prescribing AllianceInternational alliance of social prescribing practitioners, researchers and partner organisations working to grow the social prescribing workforce globally. Co-developer (with WHIS) of this programme. national chapters). Particularly important if you are a sole SPLWSPLW— Social Prescribing Link WorkerA role that supports people to access community-based services, groups and activities to meet practical, social and emotional needs that affect their health and wellbeing. Used internationally; equivalents in some countries include 'link worker', 'community connector' or 'health navigator'. in your team.
• Access to your organisation's occupational health and staff wellbeing support.

If any of these are missing, that is a service-quality issue, not a personal failing. Raise it.

Personal strategies that work

• Reflective practice between sessions. A quick voice-note or written line about what landed hard. Use the Reflection tool.
• Ritual on/ritual off. Small markers between work mode and not-work mode — a different walk home, taking off the lanyard, a phone call. The brain needs the cue.
• Boundaries on availability. People will text you. The role is not 24/7. Set the expectation in session one.
• Notice your warning signs. Sleep changes, irritability, dread before sessions, avoiding particular cases. Early warning is much easier to act on than late warning.
• Use peer support. Not gossip — peer support. Trusted SPLWSPLW— Social Prescribing Link WorkerA role that supports people to access community-based services, groups and activities to meet practical, social and emotional needs that affect their health and wellbeing. Used internationally; equivalents in some countries include 'link worker', 'community connector' or 'health navigator'. colleagues who get the work, where you can land what you cannot land elsewhere.

Vicarious trauma

If you regularly hear accounts of trauma — abuse, violence, suicide loss — vicarious trauma is a real risk. Symptoms can mirror PTSD without you having directly experienced the events. Talk to your clinical supervisor, your family doctor, or your country's occupational mental health pathway if you notice signs (intrusive thoughts, avoidance, emotional numbness, hyperarousal).

A small charge

Look after yourself in this work. The people you support need you, present and well, over years — not for one heroic burnout sprint.

Linked competencies

• Maintains compliance with mandatory and statutory training (Domain 4) — including emotional resilience training.