The following content has been provided by Laura Male – Student Information and Support Officer.
Resilience – One of the most important skills you can develop at University!
As the final assessment period approaches you may feel that you need to start focusing on your studies to the exclusion of everything else. Hard work is the key to success, right?
While we expect and encourage you to focus on your studies, you will do better if you also make time for yourself and take breaks away from your desk. Why? Because it’s one of the key things you can do to support and build your resilience.
So, what is resilience?
Resilience is an internal resource we all have that we draw on when dealing with difficult situations; stress, uncertainty, setbacks, unexpected adversity, and also when supporting other people who are going through a hard time. It’s like a reservoir you can draw from when you need to, but you also need to keep it topped up. If that reservoir runs dry you will find it much more difficult to cope with even minor setbacks, and may be at risk of burnout.
Burnout builds up over time, and can be triggered by a combination of factors. Prolonged exposure to stress leads to physical, emotional and mental exhaustion. It’s more than just feeling temporarily tired or stressed; it can affect every aspect of a your life and wellbeing. Left unchecked it can worsen, leading to serious physical and mental health issues. Recognising its causes and signs is essential to prevent and manage burnout effectively.
This is where building and maintaining your resilience comes in. There are simple things you can work into your regular routine that will help to support your wellbeing, and that are every bit as important as studying. Eating properly, getting out in the fresh air, making time for hobbies and relaxation, and getting plenty of sleep will all contribute to you being in a better place both to learn and to deal with those bumps in the road life can sometimes throw at us.
8 Small Steps to Build Your Resilience:
- Try to keep to a regular schedule. Get up at the same time every day, and develop a morning routine. Consider making a written plan of how you’re going to spend your time so you don’t have to start your day wondering what to tackle first.
- Eat well and don’t forget to stay hydrated – there are plenty of places on campus where you can refill a water bottle.
- Take care of your immediate environment, and try to keep it tidy if you can. Consider coming onto campus to do your work so your room is reserved for sleep and relaxation.
- Try to stay active! Take regular exercise, or at least get out into the fresh air as much as you can; stroll on the beach, go jogging in the park, or hire a bike and head down to Mumbles for an ice cream.
- Find ways to connect with other people. Phone your family, meet a friend for coffee, join a society or sports team, or even just chat to people on Discord.
- Consider taking a break from news or social media if you find that it’s making you anxious. Avoid doom scrolling, and seek out the good things happening in the world.
- Make time for relaxation as well as work! Try doing something creative – art, music, or even just a bit of colouring, are all great activities because you have to focus on them and not the other things in your life that are causing you stress.
- The Sorted Mental Health app was developed originally to help athletes develop a winning mindset, and can help you turn around the way you think about problems. It’s free to use if you sign up with a Swansea email.
If you do find that you are struggling – with your workload, with burnout, or anything else – remember that we are here to support you!