Why this matters
When they begin college or university, students may face significant personal and academic stressors on their own for the first time.
This resource can help build resilience and minimize the negative impact from stressful situations so that, rather than just surviving their post-secondary experience, students can thrive.
Whether students complete this on their own, with their parents or friends, or as part of a school initiative, it can allow them to reflect on potential and actual stressors and choose healthy coping strategies to deal with them.
From Surviving to Thriving is not intended as a medical or mental health intervention. If the student is currently experiencing significant challenges, they should reach out for support:
Consider contacting a health care professional, the school’s student services, or Crisis Services Canada: 1 833 456 4566. For residents of Quebec only, please call Services de Crises du Canada: 1 866 277 3553.
From Surviving to Thriving is inspired by research on resilience and has been improved through feedback received by researchers, educators, students, and mental health professionals.
From surviving to thriving: Developing personal and academic resilience workbook | PDF includes the following sections. Some include a link to a short video or article to help explain the content:
- Developing personal resilience and academic resilience
- Recognizing your automatic responses to stress
- Choosing healthier strategies
- Recognizing and exploring your stressors
- Balancing your support network
- Explore your options
- Identify and use your strengths
- And more…
This resource was originally developed based on the evidence in the citations below. As part of our due diligence, the resource was analyzed by McMaster University in late 2017. The results of that analysis were incorporated into a new version, which then underwent a pilot program evaluation at Queen’s University, completed in early 2019. Read the Pilot Program Evaluation Report | PDF.
There is another version of this resilience resource that was developed specifically for those in the workplace. Plan for resilience: Workplace edition | PDF is for leaders, employees and the self-employed. It is also free and available in French and English.
Workshop resources
Building resilience workshop
This workshop can include employees, leaders, those that are self−employed or post−secondary students. You can tailor it to any combination of these groups. Participants engage in a journey of self−discovery while creating a plan to improve their resilience and developing healthy coping strategies for whatever life throws at them.
Additional resources
Be There Certificate. This exciting new course created by Jack.org has been designed to increase mental health literacy and provide youth with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to safely support anyone who may be struggling with their mental health.
Well-being Hub from The Learning Portal of College Libraries of Ontario. Complete the Well-being Assessment to determine the areas of wellness where you are thriving and the ones that may need greater attention