wellbeing

Finding Mental Health Resources at Mason & Beyond

Nikita Thadani — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 17:28:08 +0000

Finding Mental Health Resources at Mason & Beyond Nikita Thadani Mon, 02/21/2022 - 12:28

by Nikita Thadani

As I’m sure many of you already know, prioritizing your mental health in graduate school is key. Although it can be easy to prioritize deadlines, responsibilities, and work over your mental health and well-being, if we don’t take care of our minds and bodies first, we won’t be able to complete all of our many tasks & responsibilities at hand. As they say, you can’t pour from an empty cup (in this case, you are the cup).

At the Mason Grad Insider, we’ve written plenty of blog posts about self-care (here and here), meditation, well-being, and resilience as a graduate student. But what about when that’s not enough? What can we do when we’ve realized that our mental health has declined; when there are issues we’d like to work through; or, simply when we decide we need a little extra support? This is where external mental health resources, such as counseling or group therapy, can come into play.

Mason’s Resources

Mason has a variety of free & reduced fee resources that graduate students can utilize for mental health & counseling, such as:

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) – CAPS provides free services for students, including individual therapy, group therapy, psychiatric consultation/medication management, crisis consultation, workshops, and more. To schedule an appointment, call (703) 993-2380.
- CAPS & Graduate Student Life also collaborate on mental health workshops for Graduate Students. You can find more info about these workshops on our Events page.
- CAPS also offers a therapy group specifically for graduate students! You can find more information about this group on their Group Therapy page.
Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC) – SSAC provides free resources & support to students. Some of the resources they offer include Respondent Services for student respondents to Title IX; financial well-being resources and workshops; Patriot Pantry; and Survivor Support for survivors of sexual and interpersonal violence.
Center for Psychological Services (CPS) – ��ӽ紫ý’s Center for Psychological Services provides sliding scale fees for a variety of services, including individual, family, group, and couples therapy; consultation; and diagnosis and assessment. CPS’s services are not only for students, but for the general community as well, and serves children, adults, and families. The majority of their services are provided by graduate students under the supervision of qualified, licensed professionals.
Learning Services – Learning Services provides a variety of free, experience-based learning opportunities for the Mason Community through one-on-one academic coaching, academic success workshops, and online resources.
Disability Services – Disability Services serves to promote equal access for students with disabilities in curricular and co-curricular activities within the university experience, foster partnerships with students, faculty, and staff to create environments that are accessible, diverse, and inclusive, and empower students to participate fully in the university community.

Local & Community Resources

However, many students find that they would like to receive counseling or mental health services outside of Mason – and finding a counselor or therapist is not easy! Here, I’ve tried to lay out several different ways that you can find therapy which fits your needs.

Therapist Locators – These links provide different locator tools for finding a therapist based on a variety of different factors including your zip code, insurance provider, issues they specialize in, or type of services you’re seeking:
Insurance Provider Directory – If you’re seeking services through your insurance plan, most insurances have a directory where you can look through therapy providers who are in your network.
County Resources – Depending on where you live, your local county government may provide free services for specific issues. For example, Fairfax County Domestic & Sexual Violence Services provides free counseling services & group counseling for survivors of sexual and domestic violence. The Fairfax County Community Services Board also provides a variety of free mental health services.
- In Prince William County, there is a Prince William Mental Health Resources page, including information for their Community Services Board.
- For Arlington County, you can check out the Arlington County Mental Health page, as well as their Adult Behavioral Healthcare page.

Apps

In addition to seeking individual or group therapy, a good option for many is using an app. Here are some apps that provide mental health/therapy services:

BetterHelp – BetterHelp offers access to licensed mental health professionals via online therapy, including phone and text therapy that matches you to a professional based on your preferences/needs. BetterHelp charges for these services on a weekly basis, and is usually between $60-90/week.
Talkspace – Talkspace, similarly to BetterHelp, offers access to licensed mental health professionals via online therapy and matches you based on your preferences/needs. Talkspace charges for these services on a monthly basis, averaging $50-60/week.
Headspace – Headspace is a meditation and sleep app with guided meditations and mindfulness exercises. Headspace charges around $6-12/month depending on the plan you choose.
Calm – The Calm app has meditations and sleep stories meant to reduce stress and anxiety. Calm costs around $15/month.
MoodMission – MoodMission is a free app meant to help overcome and cope with feelings of depression and anxiety.

Hotlines

Lastly, there are also hotlines you can call if you are in a mental health crisis and are in need of immediate support. All of the hotlines listed below are available 24/7, unless otherwise specified. Some hotlines include:

SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
- “SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. Callers can also order free publications and other information”
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
The Trevor Project: 866-488-7386
- The Trevor Project provides crisis hotline services for LGBTQ+ youth/young adults.
National Eating Disorder Association: 1-800-931-2237
- Available Mon-Thurs 9am-9pm and Friday 9am-5pm
Fairfax County Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline 703-360-7273; TTY 711
Fairfax County Emergency Mental Health Hotline 703-573-5679, TTY 711
Fairfax County Suicide Prevention Hotline 703-527-4077 or Text “CONNECT” to 85511
Fairfax County Child Protective Services: 703-324-7400, TTY 703-222-9452
Crisis Text Line: Text SUPPORT to 741-741
National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264
- Available Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm
Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN): 1-800-656-4673
Veterans Association: 1-800-273-8255

Although figuring out how to access mental health support can be challenging, I hope this guide serves as a helpful tool for you or anyone you know in the search for both national and local mental health resources.

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What is Burnout, and How Can You Manage It?

Nikita Thadani — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 17:21:58 +0000

What is Burnout, and How Can You Manage It? Nikita Thadani Mon, 02/21/2022 - 12:21

by Nikita Thadani

You may have heard the phrase “I’m so burnt out” before. You may have said this phrase yourself – before grad school or during. This phrase certainly pops up more frequently around this time of year, with final papers, exams, and deadlines approaching. But what is burnout? There are several definitions of burnout – let’s take a look at a few of them.

Mirriam-Webster Dictionary defines burnout as “exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration.”¹
The World Health Organization uses the ICD-11 (International Classification of Diseases, 11th edition) definition of burnout, which is “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy. Burn-out refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.”²
Psychology Today defines burnout as “a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress. Though it’s most often caused by problems at work, it can also appear in other areas of life, such as parenting, caretaking, or romantic relationships.”³

As you can see, while these three definitions of burnout are similar, they are not all the same. This is because burnout, as a term, has not been designated a clear definition yet, which has been agreed upon by mental health professionals. In fact, the origins of this term “burnout” are relatively recent, dating back to only 1970; and, originally used to describe this state of being for people in the helping professions (therapists, nurses, doctors, social workers, etc).⁴ However, the gist of it is the same; when you’re feeling burnt out, it’s typically because of a chronic state of stress and exhaustion.

Typically, there’s three main categories of symptoms in burnout: exhaustion, detachment/withdrawal from work (or in this case, school) activities, and feelings of negativity, cynicism, or irritability. Exhaustion can look like having low energy, feeling tired all the time, or somatic (physiological) symptoms like headaches or stomach aches. Detachment or withdrawal from work can include feelings of dread about going to work, having a hard time getting started, difficulty concentrating, or beginning to feel numb and detached from your work. Feelings of negativity, cynicism, or irritability can show up as impatience and irritability with coworkers or classmates, feeling cynical about the work you’re doing, feeling negative about the tasks you have to do, or even feeling disillusioned about the work/degree path you’re taking. ^3, 4, 5

So how can you prevent burnout from even happening in the first place while you’re in grad school? The Chicago School lays out 5 tips for preventing burnout: scheduling breaks, establishing a support network, breaking bad habits (such as a bad sleep schedule or not exercising), setting clear boundaries, and practicing mindfulness.⁶ The Society of Behavioral Medicine advises saying “no” to the culture of overworking, consistently prioritizing your mental and physical health, and engaging in hobbies that give you energy (rather than drain your energy).⁷ Other strategies include getting regular exercise and maintaining a balanced diet, maintaining good sleep hygiene, and staying connected to your sources of support and social network.⁸

However, sometimes we don’t realize we’re progressing towards burnout until it’s too late and we’re in the thick of it. The first step to managing burnout when you’re already experiencing it is to recognize the signs laid out above. Then, once you are able to identify the source of the burnout, identify any immediate changes you can make –asking for help, saying no to taking on additional responsibilities when you can, taking time off, asking your friends/family for additional support, and examining any other options you have.⁹

Another step that can help you manage your burnout is by getting organized. Figure out what it is you have to get done, and make a list in order of priority. This can help you to tackle what needs to get done first, taking off some of the pressure you may be feeling. Another important step is to be firm with your boundaries–leave work at work when possible, decline any additional meetings or responsibilities that should not be part of your workload, and take time for yourself even if it feels selfish. Additionally, we recommend seeking professional mental health support if you are able to!9 Mason’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers free, short-term counseling as well as other resources for mental health support.

Graduate Student Life is hosting a workshop with CAPS next semester (Spring 2022), Coping with Burnout as a Grad Student, and you can learn more about this topic by attending the workshop! I’d also like to add that the Mason Grad Insider blog has a variety of blogs regarding mental health and well-being that you might find helpful as well, including but not limited to the following:

While the end of the semester is often taxing and stressful, we are hopeful that equipping yourself with this knowledge about burnout, how to prevent it, and how to cope with it, will be helpful as you are racing towards the finish line of Fall 2021.

¹ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burnout

² https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases

³ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/burnout

⁴ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/burnout

⁵ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642

⁶ https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/insight/psychology/want-to-avoid-grad-school-burnout-try-these-5-tips/

⁷ https://www.sbm.org/healthy-living/tips-for-beating-burnout-in-graduate-school

⁸ https://www.healthline.com/health/tips-for-identifying-and-preventing-burnout#prevention

⁹ https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/burnout-recovery

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wellbeing

Resilience at Mason

Nikita Thadani — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 19:35:35 +0000

Resilience at Mason Nikita Thadani Wed, 02/02/2022 - 14:35

By Lewis Forrest, II, Associate Dean for University Life

Spring is here and the semester is entering its busy season before exams and graduation. How are you holding up? 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 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’d like to focus specifically on resilience. Whether you have things under control or not, we all should find time to reflect on our resilience. At Mason, we define resilience as: Enhancing the capacity for successful adaptation in the face of stress, challenge, and adversity.

Another definition is “the capacity to bend or stretch without breaking, to return to original shape of condition.” The American Psychological Association defines resilience as “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats and even significant sources of stress – such as family and relational problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stresses.”

What about your day-to-day life makes you resilient, and what parts of your life make it more difficult to bounce back? The Resilience Project, which is a part of Mason’s Well-Being initiative, lists ways in which the university community is supporting resilience:

The Resilience Model
Resilience Modules
The Resilience Badge Project (cohort now in session; next cohort planned for Fall 2017)

Mason’s Resilience Model 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’s Well-Being 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 – positive emotions are a person’s 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 – social 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 – 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 – coping involves a person’s response to something distressing, including their ability to manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.

Physical well-being – physical well-being encompasses a person’s objective health (regular physical exercise, healthy diet, adequate sleep), and subjective health (how healthy they believe they are).

The Resilience Modules are nine active presentations and many pre-selected TED Talks designed to increase different resilience skills. The Resilience Badge Project is a collaboration with Educational Design Lab to pilot how Mason might develop competency-based micro-credentials for “21^st century skills” that can be displayed as a digital credential/badge on a student’s resume and are meaningful to employers in their hiring decisions.

Interested in participating in the badge project during Fall 2017? Contact me by 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. 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 Career Readiness Competencies 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, “How are you holding up?” 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 (Positive emotions, Social support, Meaning in life, Coping, and Physical well-being) can help support and sustain you as we close out the semester and beyond!

Stay connected to Mason’s Well-Being work:

Center for the Advancement of Well-Being
- Twitter: @CWB_Mason
Mason Recreation
CAPS
Student Support and Advocacy Center
Gallup CliftonStrengths Assessment (free to all Mason Students)
- Twitter: @MasonStrengths

Lewis Forrest can be contacted by email and on Twitter (@LewMr).

The proceeding blog has been edited and updated to showcase the most current information about Mason’s 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.

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Make Time for Self-Care—You’ll Thank Yourself Later

Nikita Thadani — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 20:48:56 +0000

Make Time for Self-Care—You’ll Thank Yourself Later Nikita Thadani Tue, 02/01/2022 - 15:48

by Sydney Glass

Last November, I was fortunate to attend a self-care workshop led by the amazing Dr. Al Fuertes, an Associate Professor in the School of Integrative Studies and a University Life Faculty Fellow. While this workshop was specifically for graduate student staff in University Life, I can recognize its benefits for all graduate and professional students at Mason.

Oftentimes, as graduate students, we feel the need to continue as if everything is fine, or that taking time to destress will take away from time that we could spend completing another assignment. In actuality, not being aware and recognizing that you need and deserve a break could negatively influence both your health and academic studies. Dr. Fuertes says that being stressed over small periods is fine and normal. However, experiencing stress for at least thirty consecutive days can be considered trauma. Imagine what that means for many of us in grad school who have been in what seems like a perpetual state of stress! Since that workshop, I have tried to make small changes in the way I manage stressful situations and always try to take some time for myself. In this post, I want to highlight a few ways that you can manage stressors in your life and reduce your stress levels.

A Stress Diary: I know what you are thinking, “there is a diary for everything,” and it is true. However, it is also true that writing things down can help you better manage and prioritize your responsibilities. With a stress diary, you are encouraged to describe a stressful event when it happens and how the experience makes you feel. This is important as it allows you to figure out what causes you the most stress, when you feel most overwhelmed, and how stress manifests itself, whether physical or emotional. Through this, you become more aware of your stress levels, can develop a plan to reduce them, and are more equipped to deal with similar situations in the future.[i]

Talking: If you are not interested in writing about your stress, try talking about it! I really liked this about Dr. Fuertes’ workshop as it allowed me to discuss certain issues with my peers. Although we were not in the same discipline or program, we could all relate to the graduate school experience. One article describes stress as a “sack of rocks” that gets lighter when you talk about it with someone else.[ii] I am not saying that this works all the time or is an easy fix, but it can definitely make you feel less alone and validate how you are feeling.

Cognitive Restructuring: To put it simply, cognitive restructuring is the process of changing the way we think and adopting a more positive mindset. In graduate school, and life in general, we will experience a number of stressful situations, which can negatively influence our mood and overall performance. It is important not to dwell on the negative aspects or worry about things that we cannot change too long, as it only increases our stress. Instead, try to think about the situation objectively, as it will allow you to consider both the pros and cons of it. Once you have a more balanced view, you can work to change negative statements like “I’m not good at this” to “I simply need to practice more.” Additionally, one of the biggest recommendations that I have been working on is “living in the present.” A major stressor is that we often try to tackle all of our problems simultaneously, but that usually creates more stress and we accomplish very little. Thus, the next time everything seems to be piling up, take time to think through and work on solutions for one problem at a time.[iii]

If you are interested in learning more techniques to manage stress and want to build relationships with others in the Mason community, check out the Center for the Advancement of Wellbeing's Mindful Mason Moments. It is on my to-do list! I hope that you will find these tips useful, and they will allow you to not only manage your stress levels but also fit moments of self-care into your busy schedules. Until next time!

To learn more about Dr. Fuertes’ work and research interests, visit his faculty page here.

Best,

Sydney

[i] “Stress Diaries,” Mind Tools, n.d., https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTCS_01.htm

[ii] Fawne Hansen, “Talking about Your Stress: A Simple Way to Put It in Perspective,” the Adrenal Fatigue Solution, last modified May 29, 2015, https://adrenalfatiguesolution.com/talking-about-your-stress/

[iii] Elizabeth Scott, “Cognitive Restructuring for Stress Relief,” Verywell Mind, last modified August 8, 2019, https://www.verywellmind.com/cognitive-restructuring-for-stress-relief-3144919

This blog post has been updated to reflect updated information and web addresses.

Edited by Nikita Thadani, 2/1/2022

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Practicing Self-Care (Even When It’s Hard)

Nikita Thadani — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 21:26:55 +0000

Practicing Self-Care (Even When It’s Hard) Nikita Thadani Wed, 01/26/2022 - 16:26

by Nikita Thadani

Hey y’all,

So self-care has become a bit of a buzzword recently. But what does self-care actually mean? What does self-care look like for you?

According to Psych Central¹, “Self-care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health.”

Self-care isn’t the same as just treating yourself, as a lot of people in the media may promote. Self-care isn’t always doing what’s easy or being indulgent. For me, practicing self-care means instead of lying in bed and scrolling through Twitter (easy), getting up and going on a run (sometimes hard). It means packing a healthy lunch for the next day instead of eating a bag of microwave popcorn for a meal. Self-care means taking time out of my day to draw or paint because it’s good for my emotional health, even though it feels less productive than doing homework. And sometimes, self-care means getting an extra hour of sleep instead of finishing my last reading assignment (sh… don’t tell my professors!).

These self-care practices are actions that will benefit my mental and physical well-being in the long run, even if it might be challenging in the moment to have to get myself out of bed. Don’t get me wrong, there are tons of times when I don’t get up and exercise instead of lying in bed–and that’s okay too! Self-care is about intentionally doing what we can to take care of ourselves and prevent burnout, which is all too common for graduate students. In fact, research has shown² that graduate students face more stress and mental health issues than they will at any other point in their career, especially given that most graduate students are juggling multiple life commitments and responsibilities.

What are some other things you can do to practice self-care in graduate school? While there’s no exhaustive list, here are some ideas³:

Setting limits and boundaries for yourself⁴ – for example, not attending that social function you know you really won’t enjoy
Getting enough sleep (can’t get 8 hours at night? Check out our previous blog post on napping⁵ for some ideas)
Eating enough nutritious food
Getting exercise and staying active
Cutting out stressful components of your environment
Creating a healthy work space⁶ (especially in these COVID times)
Practicing mindfulness⁷ and/or meditation
Taking time for things you enjoy (reading, drawing, going on a walk, seeing your friends)
Communing with nature
Expressing gratitude for the things and people in your life
Expressing gratitude for your awesome self
Journaling⁸
Getting your medical, dental, vision, etc. check-ups
Creating boundaries between work life and home life (which is especially challenging as many of us are currently working from home)
Seeking counseling⁹ (not that I’m biased or anything, as a counseling student)
Practicing positive self-talk
Visiting Mason Arlington Campus’s MindSpa, a resource specifically designed to enhance student well-being and mindfulness

As you can see, there is an incredible array of things you can do to practice self-care. Some good practices for ensuring you’re doing self-care is actually planning it out or scheduling it. (For example, I’ll pencil in a workout into my calendar so that I can hold myself accountable for actually doing it.) Incorporating these practices in your daily life and figuring out what works for you to de-stress is essential to surviving this crazy thing called graduate school we’ve decided to put ourselves through.

Sincerely,

Your newest Mason Grad Insider blogger, Nikita

1 “What Self-Care Is – and What It Isn’t,” Psych Central, accessed September 1, 2020 https://psychcentral.com/blog/what-self-care-is-and-what-it-isnt-2/

2“Mental Health Crisis for Grad Students,” Inside Higher Ed, accessed September 1, 2020 https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/03/06/new-study-says-graduate-students-mental-health-crisis

3 “Self Care 101,” Psychology Today, accessed September 1, 2020 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/skinny-revisited/201805/self-care-101

4 “Why Setting Boundaries is the Ultimate Self-Care,” Balance Through Simplicity, accessed September 1, 2020 https://balancethroughsimplicity.com/why-setting-boundaries-is-the-ultimate-self-care/#:~:text=Boundaries%20set%20your%20expectations%20for,emotional%2C%20psychological%20and%20physical%20needs.

5 “Grads, Give Yourself Permission to Nap,” Mason Grad Insider Blog, accessed September 1, 2020 https://graduate.gmu.edu/news/2022-01/grads-give-yourself-permission-nap

6 “How to Create an Ergonomic Workspace at Home During COVID-19,” Scripps, accessed September 1, 2020 https://www.scripps.org/news_items/7000-creating-an-ergonomic-workspace-at-home-during-covid-19

7 “How Mindfulness can Help You Take Control in Grad School,” ASCB, accessed September 1, 2020 https://www.ascb.org/careers/how-mindfulness-can-help-you-take-control-in-grad-school/#:~:text=If%20you%20are%20someone%20struggling,more%20than%20you%20may%20think.

8 “Journal Writing for Graduate Students,” Inside Higher Ed, accessed September 1, 2020 https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/journal-writing-graduate-students

9 “Counseling and Psychological Services,” ��ӽ紫ý, accessed September 1, 2020 https://caps.gmu.edu/

This post has been edited to reflected updated information and web addresses.

Edited by Nikita Thadani, 1/26/2022

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Resilience at Mason in 2020: Take Care of Yourself

Nikita Thadani — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 22:35:25 +0000

Resilience at Mason in 2020: Take Care of Yourself Nikita Thadani Tue, 01/25/2022 - 17:35

by Lewis Forrest II, Associate Dean within University Life

In 2017, I wrote a blog for Graduate Student Life on Resilience at Mason. It seems so long ago, and the world was a very different place. This year has been a rollercoaster, and we all have everyday challenges that come with being graduate students. 2020 on the other hand, has brought us all stressors that we could not have imagined.

While life brings many challenges, I’d like to specifically acknowledge the COVID-19 pandemic and the struggle for racial justice via the Black Lives Matter Movement. While COVID-19, has changed the way we operate on a day-to-day basis, it has also challenged our resilience. This pandemic has forced all of us to shift to new home and work environments, has created distance in our personal relationships, and limited many of the activities we enjoy.

The energy our country is experiencing around the social justice movements has tested our emotions, challenged our beliefs, and called many of us to stand up in the face of adversity. During all of this we still have maintained the call to be students. In many ways you are already resilient, and I give you a lot of credit for enduring through virtual classes, and all the ways that the educational environment has shifted.

What also remains from what I wrote in 2017 is the need for us to continually attend to our personal well-being. One of the keys to remaining resilient is knowing when to ask for help and when to take time to – as one of my colleagues reminds me – “Take care of you.” You might be thinking this is a somewhat selfish approach, but in the end, if you cannot take care of yourself, you are less likely to be at your best to attend to your studies and take care of others.

At Mason, the definition of resilience is: Enhancing the capacity for successful adaptation in the face of stress, challenge, and adversity. Here are a few questions I posed in 2017 that are related to your personal resilience. I think these questions are still relevant to ask today:

1. How are you holding up?

Has anyone asked you this question?
Researchers say having a solid social group and even a mentor has huge gains for your well-being. Steven M. Southwick and Dennis S. Charney’s book Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges, discusses role models: Your ability to be resilient increases when you have good role models because you can learn by example. Your role model might be someone you know and have an existing relationship with, or your role model might be someone you don’t know but who serves as inspiration.

2. Are you able to attend to your well-being and stay focused during this important time?

What practices do you have in your life to help you maintain your mental health? What do you do to consistently to bring balance to your life?
It may be beneficial for you to find practices (walking, listening to music, journaling, etc.) that make sense for your interests and lifestyle.

3. Are you more resilient than you realize?

Have you thought about this question, and given yourself some grace?
Dr. Kristen Neff’s website has a wealth of resources to help us recognize and embrace self-compassion as a skill to develop in our daily lives.

To help us all continue to be more resilient people, Mason has developed a fully online, asynchronous learning opportunity called the Resilience Badge that will allow you to further develop your resilience through content knowledge and practices. This experience is backed by the science of resilience and is designed to deepen your own knowledge and become more flexible, more adaptable, and more creative. This will help you when it comes to solving problems, making decisions, and building the life you want. While some of the content may speak to an undergraduate population, much of the experience will be rich for anyone.

As you complete each of the six modules you will:

Discover what resilience is.
Engage resilience through a growth mindset.
Deepen your understanding of optimism to benefit resilience.
Explore fear in the context of resilience.
Find ways to respond to stress from a place of resilience.
To learn more about the value of earning the Resilience Badge click on this link. If you decide you want to learn more, you can access the Resilience Badge via Blackboard. You can enroll by sending your name, G#, and Mason email address to ResBadge@gmu.edu, or enroll by logging into Blackboard. Click on Life@Mason (top right of your screen). Select Sign Up Now and then select Submit.

I encourage you to “Take care of you.” It is never too late to attend to your personal well-being and focus on refining your resilience.

Be safe, stay connected, and take advantage of the many resources Mason has available to you as a student.

Resources

Center for the Advancement of Well-Being
- Twitter: @CWB_Mason
Mason Recreation
CAPS
Student Support and Advocacy Center
Gallup CliftonStrengths Assessment (free to all Mason Students)
- Twitter: @MasonStrengths

Lewis Forrest can be contacted by email and on Twitter (@LewMr).

This blog post has been edited to reflect updated information and web addresses.

Edited by Nikita Thadani, 1/25/2022.

Topics

Mason Grad Insider

wellbeing

resilience