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Quote ““Resilience is more available to people curious about their own line of thinking and behaving,” Brene BrownResilience is such an important area right now. In the midst of our global pandemic, global tensions, or even holiday stress, our resilience is so very important. On this podcast we had a very special guest with us, Dr Jenny Liu.Jenny (Jing Wen) Liu, Ph.D., is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Psychiatry at the Toronto Western Hospital-Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, and a Postdoctoral Fellow within Urban Health Equity Research at the Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Ryerson University. She is also an elected board member of the Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture, an international organisation devoted to fostering cultural aspects of mental health and illness. Dr. Liu’s background is in psychological science, and her scholarship activities bridge research in stress and resilience with community-based applications. She has collaborated with industry partners, community agencies, and mental health organizations, serving in the roles of Director of Research, Consultant, and Fellow. She is the creator and lead author of the Multi-System Model of Resilience (MSMR), which was developed into a mobile application (https://www.msmrtool.com/). The model and tool are currently used in several multi-year projects around the world.On this episode:Dr. Liu shared how her interest in resilience developed, sharing her experience with workplace harassment and the impact it had on her. It was after sharing and getting support, she realised that her resilience manifested in the way she interacted with the supports around herResilience is not just rooted within the person - more than just the individual / mindsetDefinition of Resilience: “An evolving capacity to respond to emerging challenges”The capacity evolves because we can source that capacity not just within ourselvesThe inequity in our society may results in differences in options to support staff with resilienceThe good news – because resilience comes from different places it is not restricted to just within your workplaceWe can reduce absenteeism and presenteeism by improving resilienceResilient people can be more productive but that doesn’t always connect to productivityThe Multi-System Model of Resilience was explained (MSMR)There are 3 systems: Internal (Health behaviours - managing emotions, healthy eating etc) resilience, coping (values, goals, skills and strategies) pursuits and external ( access to services / connection to community) resilienceIt is a multi – system approach to resilience because we have different needs:Essential (safety and security – health and wellness, life satisfaction, social security)Situational (unexpected challenges and adversities – your supports, how you deal with emotions and self-perception)Full potential living (achieving our full potential e.g. growth capacity, healthy reserves and social connectedness)MSMR has 9 domains (see below for a complete overview). An assessment can provide information on your strengths and opportunities across the essential, situational and actualisation areasWhat you might do as you explore your resilienceActions that can increase a sense of connection during covidWhat actions support some sustainable changes with your resilienceDon’t forget to get some help and support if you need it.Please SUBSCRIBE and leave your comment.You can also share your feedback confidentially:Click on this confidential link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/podcastfeedback2020For more information on wellbeing, support, resources, tips or to contact Danny or Mary:https://www.dannyblackford.com.au/https://www.appian.com.au/Social media:https://www.instagram.com/coachuwellness/MSMR app:https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/msmr/id1456330434https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.msmrThe Multi-System Model of Resilience were explained (MSMR):Essential NeedsOur basic needs may be challenged by the pandemic. Taking care of these needs is essential to maintaining and building our resilience.i. Health and WellnessThis refers to the most basic activities we do to survive and live, including sleeping, eating, and exercising. Yet, we often neglect taking care of ourselves, especially when we are stressed, impacting on our health and wellness.ii. Life SatisfactionAs humans, we have a basic need to lead a life with meaning. We find meaning and purpose in the people whom we connect with or in the things we do. It is important to not lose sight of the rich meaning and connections in our life when we are stressed.iii. Social SecurityThis refers to our basic needs related to our social welfare, such as income, housing, security, and safety, etc. Many minority groups have already experienced social and economic inequities and hardships before COVID-19 and may have an even harder time because of the pandemic.Situational NeedsWhen we face unexpected stress, we need to tap into our resilience to respond to these challenges and problems. We will get through the pandemic, like all challenges in life. There are strategies and actions that we can use to tackle these situational needs.i. Accessible SupportsSocial (physical) distancing may make us feel isolated; in reality we never live in isolation. We are surrounded and supported by our families, friends, communities, and the larger society. We may sometimes lose sight of this for many reasons, like having difficult relationships in the past or because of social injustices in the larger system.ii. Dealing with Your EmotionsOur emotions are always with us, whether we are aware of them or not. When you feel challenged by COVID-19 and other stress, it’s important to reflect on how you deal with your emotions, including strong upsetting emotions.iii. Self-PerceptionsHow do you see yourself? Your ideas and concepts about yourself may influence your sense of self and your confidence in tackling different situations. During a stressful time like a pandemic, you may feel challenged and start to feel bad about yourself, or even feel a sense of powerlessness. You may find that there are many things that are beyond your control. You may find yourself juggling too many things.Full-Potential Living NeedsSometimes, we get caught up with just getting through the day, busy with day-to-day routines and chores. Other times, we only focus our attention on stressful things and what’s going wrong in our lives. It is helpful to take a step back and reflect on how to live our life to the fullest and grow to our fullest potential. Yes, even with the pandemic, there’s opportunity for valuable growth, which adds to our resilience!i. Growth CapacityThis is one of the most exciting and fun areas of our resilience. When things are going fairly well, complacency and routines may limit our growth; when things are not going well, preoccupation with problems may similarly limit our growth. Actually, we all have the potential capacity for self-growth under any circumstances at any moment if we are open to it.ii. Health ReserveIf our fuel tank is running on empty, it’s hard to go very far, let alone explore new places. Our health reserve includes both our physical and mental health capacity, and the two are very much linked. Whether you consider yourself healthy or you have a chronic physical or mental illness, we can all put some effort in building up our health reserves as a foundation.iii. Social Connectedness and InclusionThe community we live in can give us a sense of safety, acceptance, and belonging, which can reaffirm our sense of identity and our control over our lives. However, in a climate of fear, ignorance, and misconceptions about COVID-19, there is increasing stigmatization, xenophobia, and racism, resulting in worsening discrimination and inequities for Chinese Canadians and other Asian Canadian populations.