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According to the American Psychological Association (2022), resilience is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands.
Our Resilience initiative dives into what it means to be a Resilient Volunteer along with ways for students to build resilience as they navigate those challenging experiences along their academic journeys.
Becoming the Resilient Volunteer begins with:
1.Giving yourself a break. Stress and trauma can make a significant impact physically and mentally.
2.Taking some time to identify, acknowledge, and manage the emotions that you are experiencing. Be honest with yourself, and call them what they are.
3.Looking within to identify the symptoms and how they are affecting your life—your daily routine, interactions, productivity, and outlook. Do you need peer support? Professional services?
4.Remembering that your response to trauma can manifest in different ways like mood, sleep, and physical symptoms.
5.Exploring your available resources and determine your “go-to” coping strategies.
6.Remember: being intentional about managing trauma and stress provides the foundation for improving mental health.