#education

Mental Health Check: How to Be More Resilient, Even if You Think It’s Not in Your Nature

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BY SANDRA GUY

As we read the day’s news headlines, we might be tempted to tell ourselves that we simply cannot cope with a life where COVID-19 and its variants seem to be endless.

But experts say you are perfectly capable of staying resilient, even if you think it’s not in your nature.

How? It’s a critically timely question as students and teachers return to the classroom, still wearing masks and socially distanced, and as mental health awareness gets a boost with World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10 and Mental Illness Awareness Week Oct. 3-9.

One key is resilience. First, what does resilience mean? It’s a process of adapting to adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress, whether personally or in the workplace.

Resilience is so important because it not only helps you get through difficult circumstances, it also empowers you to grow and even improve your life along the way.

Like building a muscle, increasing your resilience takes time and intentionality, and, much as you’d like to escape it, you will still face distress and difficulty.

Here are ways to stay on top of your best self and, if you need help, know when to ask for it.

  • Find trustworthy and compassionate people who validate your feelings.
  • Accept help and support from people who care about you.
  • Network and stay active in ventures that give you joy and a sense of purpose. That might be civic or faith-based groups or local community social services agencies.
  • Stay vigilant about exercise — daily if possible — as well as eating healthily and getting lots of sleep.
  • Adopt mindful practices such as yoga, journaling or meditation.

Perhaps the most difficult habit is to stop your mind from racing as you jump to the worst possible scenario and then panic.

It may sound old-fashioned, but counting to 10 before you respond to a situation really can let you center yourself. Then, experts say, talk to yourself as you would console a friend or partner, saying something like, “OK, this is a tough situation, but you are strong and resilient. You can deal with this.”

Allow yourself to acknowledge that things change — and they can change for the better. Remind yourself of obstacles you’ve overcome in the past.

That doesn’t mean that you bury or deny negative emotions. We just don’t take a next step of falling down a rabbit hole of despair.

Language plays a big part in staying hopeful. Experts recommend repeating a word or phrase that affirms your values. Or close your eyes and picture the details — the sights, sounds, smells and feelings — of a marvelous memory that makes you feel alive and happy. Give that feeling a name.

Allow yourself permission to get counsel. Psychologists and psychiatrists are widely available on Zoom, and many operate on a sliding-fee scale so that your income determines the fee.

Even as you feel uncertain, repeat meaningful songs, phrases and verses that you know from your past: “The Lord is My Shepherd” or “We Are the Champions” or basketball coach John Wooden’s favorite, “Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.”

 

College Students Leverage their Tech Savviness to Deal with COVID-19 Challenges

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BY SANDRA GUY

Yes, college has changed and it’s easy to take refuge in bemoaning the communal benefits that students have been denied.

After all, higher education’s great success centers on students meeting peers from different backgrounds, experiences, ethnic groups and other worldviews.

But a knee-jerk reaction to take a gap year or a gap quarter isn’t necessarily the answer. After all, students who do so may risk losing the chance to re-enroll at any time they wish, or run into complications with tuition refunds, and they may have to resubmit financial-aid applications.

Think first of the opportunities that even such a heartbreaking curse such as the coronavirus pandemic might provide. Just this past quarter, students showed they had the self-confidence to forge ahead, putting out the student newspaper, creating radio shows and anchoring the TV news show, as well as gutting out Zoom classes, online quizzes and virtual deadlines to continue learning.

They learned about each other in new ways — with peeks inside people’s homes during Zoom classes, written conversations in online discussion boards and figuring out how to best set up lighting for the best Zoom look.

Even extracurricular activities kept running, with student leaders reimagining how to recruit members, raise money and hold remote auditions. One student worried that dance auditions via Zoom would be unfair because any student who relied on a library for Internet access couldn’t just bust a move amid the study carrels.

The group decided to have dance team captains choreograph short dances and let candidates submit videos in a membership-controlled social media site of themselves auditioning.

Other groups held online events and screenings that prospective members could watch, or movie nights to create a sense of community. Another paired would-be members with a virtual sister or brother to bond with the group.

One upside is that students who’d otherwise have to commute, take public transportation or care for family members at home could jump online and get involved in activities they couldn’t have done in person. The online forums let students more easily drop in and try out extracurricular activities. And students who consider themselves introverts could more calmly plug into a Zoom chat or just watch a communal event. It’s also possible to join with peers from throughout the world to create new connections that students had never before made time for.

Perhaps without even realizing it, students developed valuable skills that will serve them well throughout life: You have to pivot when life throws you a curveball. You have to stretch, learn new skills, spell out your goals in detail, motivate people to follow you, reach across a divide into the unknown.

Keep reaching into that expanse. You’ll be glad you did.