Stronger Than: On the Road to Resilience with Campus Health
College is a time of excitement and discovery, but can also be anxiety provoking and challenging. In recognition of the unique stressors faced by college students, particularly during this time, Campus Health developed the resilience initiative Stronger Than. Stronger Than’s mission is to help students discover and strengthen their ability to flourish under pressure. [MZ1] The initiative focuses on three skills that contribute to resilience and aims engage students through social media messaging, an online resource guide (https://health.arizona.edu/strongerthan), a workshop and a poster series. [MZ2]
Change Your Perspective, Change Your World
Everyone has heard stories of extraordinary individuals who have risen above hardship and adversity to become great. What magic do they possess that allows them to do this? Research shows that one trait many of these individuals share is the ability to look at their circumstances adaptively..- They find meaning in difficult experiences and carry those lessons forward, using the power of perspective to change their world. For some, shifting perspective comes naturally, others may need more practice. Stronger Than provides a workshop that helps students discover the impact of perspective on managing stress and strategies for shifting to a growth mindset.
Your Best Self is Your Authentic Self
College is a time of self discovery, of learning who you are and what you value. We encourage students to resist the pressure to conform or compromise their values and to recognize their own inherent strengths. We believe that a compassionate campus is one that is accepting of everyone’s uniqueness, and that self-awareness and authenticity leads to creative problem solving and innovative thinking. Student guided engagement opportunities are planned to happen across campus in the coming year.
Reach Out When You Want to Retreat
We often see students who have been struggling silently, too ashamed or scared to ask for help until they are in crisis. We know that students who feel connected to a campus community are more likely to ask for help, less likely to drop out and are better able to use their available resources to succeed. Resilience isn’t created in a vacuum, and we want students to view asking for help as a courageous act. It is in those moments when you learn that you are stronger than you believed.