This short presentation defines "Resilience Fatigue" and shows how MBTI can help us to identify this state in ourselves and others.

1. MBTI and
resilience
fatigue
Using MBTI to spot that we’ve really,
really had enough of lockdown, so
we can get everyone back on track.

2. BOOST&Co’s
definition of
“resilience
fatigue”
• The state experienced when you’ve made every effort you
can to stay productive, stay useful and stay focused during
lockdown, and you now feel absolutely drained.
I’ve kept going, I’ve kept working, I’ve joined every single All Hands
call, and now I’ve got resilience fatigue.
• The feeling you get when, unexpectedly, you find yourself
operating in a way outside your natural preferences,
because lockdown has worn you out.
I shouted at someone at work the other day – it’s the first time in eight
years I’ve done that. I must have resilience fatigue.
• “I’m just so over it!!!!!!”
No way am I joining that call tomorrow. Go away and leave me alone.
No, I’m deadly serious. I’ve got resilience fatigue.
noun.

3. • We’ve done OK at BOOST&Co during lockdown. We’ve kept
busy, we’ve kept in contact with everyone consistently, and
we’ve made the extra effort to do things together remotely.
• Some of us have found this period exceptionally difficult, and
it has taken huge amounts of resolve to keep going, stay
engaged and remain focused on deadlines.
• Some of us have found it much easier, either because we’re
used to working from home or because we are glad that
we’ve been given the opportunity to work from home.
• Wherever you sit on this spectrum, even if it’s to the extreme
left, you will at some point experience resilience fatigue. We
can see it a lot at present, so we need to find the best way to
help each other through.
MBTI is a great
tool for facing
challenges and
understanding
each other
during crises.
Resilience
fatigue is our
latest challenge.
I can stay at home
for a week and not
notice that I haven’t
been out…
Stay at home? I
don’t understand
the concept!

4. Resilience fatigue can show as “opposite” behaviours.
S
S
I
E
N
T
F
J
P
May well have struggled initially, especially
if they were locked down alone. Having
made the effort to join in remotely, they
may now be retreating again.
Although generally more comfortable
alone, they may develop anxieties around
going out through lack of practice. Could
be tired from joining in with fun activities.
Errors may creep into their work, despite
their usual keen attention to detail. They
may also start to be more annoyed than
usual with others’ mistakes.
Although usually future-focused, they may
be exhausted from trying to make sense of
a world that temporarily has no shape at
all. May turn to detail for comfort.
Some with the T preference may find
themselves becoming emotional and,
if they are also an I, may show their
emotions in an uncharacteristic way.
Even if they haven’t experienced personal
tragedy, the global crisis may have drained
them. They may become unexpectedly
harder and less forgiving.
Can feel very uncomfortable when rules
are changed or disappear. The inability to
plan may feel draining. May try to impose
more structure than usual.
Feels comfortable, even happy, in periods of
change or uncertainty, but if they are unable
to gaze forward due to a lack of framework
or data, they may lose interest.

5. Even if your organisation has had a “good lockdown”, resilience fatigue may look like this:
ENFJ INFJ INTJ ENTJ
ENFP
ESFP
ESFJ
INFP
ISFP
ISFJ
INTP
ISTP
ISTJ
ENTP
ESTP
ESTJ
If they could establish a routine
during lockdown, they may have
found it OK, but they may by now
be craving company.
Lockdown has been a challenge.
Their F preference may have kept
them going, for others’ sakes, but
they may be very tired by now.
If they have retained control and
order, they will have made it
through, but a lack of focus or
order will have tested their resolve.
Will have been pretty comfortable,
if they’ve kept in close contact with
colleagues, but the extra effort to
finish projects will have been tiring.
If they could support others
through lockdown within a clear
structure, they will feel fulfilled, but
may now be exhausted.
If they were given the chance to
support others through lockdown,
they will be fulfilled, but may now
be exhausted by the strain.
May now lack the energy to
continue overriding their strong
desire to be with others, having
made a big effort early on to cope.
Can work alone extremely
comfortably, but even with
structure and appreciation, they
may now feel “over it” and tired.
They are gentle, sensitive and
nurturing, so lockdown may have
led to them being overwhelmed by
worries. May become vocal.
Even if they have had a clear
purpose during lockdown, the E
and F preference to be with
others physically is strong.
Lockdown may have played to their
strengths. However, they may still
feel frustrated and may withdraw
from the “mess”.
Action-oriented and future-focused,
they may have found lockdown
incredibly frustrating. May become
irritable, despite good intentions.
If they have experienced a lot of
changes, they may withdraw from
discussions. They may even be
uncharacteristically vocal.
Lockdown will have been a very
big challenge. They may now be
extremely tired from coping and
may display very low energy.
Like other E types, may become
withdrawn if they have not been
able to work within a structure.
May even slip under the radar.
Will have coped well with structure
and goals, but a lot of last-minute
changes may lead them to become
vocal and emotional.

6. t
• Resilience fatigue may sound like we’re all just “over it”.
However, in a high-performing organisation in which
people are self-motivated to work to the best of their
ability, any drop-off from that position is either caused
by stress or causes stress itself.
Resilience fatigue
can be caused by
pressure to cope
outside MBTI
preferences, or it
can cause us to
lose the ability to
cope.
Coping with
lockdown pressure
Ability to cope with
lockdown pressure
OR

7. If someone with an E preference becomes
withdrawn, especially if they have coped well
with lockdown until this point, they are
probably suffering from resilience fatigue.
E
If someone with an I preference goes the
other way and becomes vocal and even
unexpectedly emotional, then they are
probably suffering resilience fatigue.
I
Under extreme
pressure, stress
or fatigue, MBTI
gives us a simple
rule of thumb for
recognising
problems in our
colleagues.

8. We have to remember that dealing with lockdown is not “one
shot and it’s sorted”. Everyone will continue to have phases in
which they fall off the wagon and cannot overcome their
natural preferences. They may even be pushed to demonstrate
behaviours that are very uncommon.
If we recognise these patches and shepherd people through,
while remaining focused on our structure, processes and future
prospects, then we can all come through at the other end.
MBTI gives us clear shortcuts to understanding some of the
issues that people are facing. After that, we can all work with
individuals to understand their particular issues and to help
them to stay focused and productive. We can even continue to
work with them on their growth. We are treading water, to an
extent, but individuals can still grow during what is, let’s be
honest, an absolutely rotten period in our professional lives.