By Lewis Forrest, II, Associate Dean for University Life
Spring is here and the semester is entering its busy season before exams and graduation.听How are you holding up?听Are you able to attend to your well-being and stay focused during this important time? Are you more resilient than you realize?
In my听blog post last year, titled Taking Care of Your Well-Being, I challenged you to be mindful of your well-being during graduate school, given the complex lives and multiple responsibilities graduate students balance. This time, I鈥檇 like to focus specifically on resilience.听 Whether you have things under control or not, we all should find time to reflect on our resilience.听At Mason, we define resilience as:听Enhancing the capacity for successful adaptation in the face of stress, challenge, and adversity.
Another definition is听鈥渢he capacity to bend or stretch without breaking, to return to original shape of condition.鈥听The American Psychological Association defines resilience as听鈥渢he process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats and even significant sources of stress 鈥 such as family and relational problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stresses.鈥
What about your day-to-day life makes you resilient, and what parts of your life make it more difficult to bounce back?听The Resilience Project,听which is a part of Mason鈥檚听听initiative, lists ways in which the university community is supporting resilience:
- The Resilience Model
- Resilience Modules
- The Resilience Badge Project听(cohort now in session; next cohort planned for Fall 2017)
Mason鈥檚听Resilience Model听represents the components of flourishing that we believe comprise a resilient human being. We believe that with the appropriate resources and support, a person can intentionally enhance each component in their own life to build their resilience; for more information check out Mason鈥檚听听page. The five components below give you some guidance on areas where you can focus to increase and support your resilience during graduate school.
Positive emotions听鈥 positive emotions are a person鈥檚 brief responses when they interpret their current circumstances as good, pleasurable, or of good fortune. Positive emotions include joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe, and love.
Social support听鈥撎齭ocial support is the degree to which a person feels they can rely on or turn to other people for support, advice, or encouragement.
Meaning in life听鈥 meaning in life is the extent to which a person feels their life is purposeful and how they make sense of their life and place within the world.
Coping听鈥 coping involves a person鈥檚 response to something distressing, including their ability to manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.
Physical well-being听鈥听physical well-being encompasses a person鈥檚 objective health (regular physical exercise, healthy diet, adequate sleep), and subjective health (how healthy they believe they are).
The听Resilience Modules听are nine听active presentations and many pre-selected TED Talks designed to increase different resilience skills. The听听is a collaboration with听听to pilot how Mason might develop competency-based micro-credentials for 鈥21st听century skills鈥 that can be displayed as a digital credential/badge on a student鈥檚 resume and are meaningful to employers in their hiring decisions.
Interested in participating in the badge project during Fall 2017? Contact me by听email.
As you discover greater resilience, also think about how you can leverage your growth toward becoming more resilient in your school and work environments. Consider how being a more resilient person can make you an asset in the classroom or to a potential employer. Think about the value you can add to a company when you can articulate your purpose, have clear and articulated practices for dealing with stress, and managing your emotions.听 Employers evaluate individuals based on factors such as experience, degrees and certifications, and are increasingly seeking employees who can adapt in the face of stress and face challenge and adversity. The National Association of Colleges and Employers identifies听听that speak directly to many of the critical thinking/problem solving, oral/written communication, and leadership skills present in a resilient individual.
So back to our initial question,听鈥淗ow are you holding up?鈥听Your well-being and your ability to bounce back are more than just momentary questions to ponder. As you move through this process of investing in yourself, you will uncover the value of resilience throughout your life. I encourage you to use the many resources Mason has to offer. Think about how the five components of the Resilience Model听(Positive emotions, Social support, Meaning in life, Coping, and Physical well-being)听can help support and sustain you as we close out the semester and beyond!
Stay connected to Mason鈥檚 Well-Being work:
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Twitter:听听听
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听(free to all Mason Students)听
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Twitter:听听
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Lewis Forrest can be contacted by听email听and on Twitter ().
The proceeding blog has been edited and updated to showcase the most current information about Mason鈥檚 resources for graduate and professional students. Changes and edits were made by the editor. Edited 09/21/2020.
Edited by Nikita Thadani, 2/2/2022.