Resources for Stressful Times
Here we provide links to a conceptual framework for resilience and campus resources that support resilience.
The 12 Warning Signs of Health
- Persistent presence of support network.
- Chronic positive expectations; tendency to frame events in a constructive light.
- Episodic peak experiences.
- Sense of spiritual involvement.
- Increased sensitivity.
- Tendency to adapt to changing conditions.
- Rapid response and recovery of adrenaline system due to repeated challenges.
- Increased appetite for physical activity.
- Tendency to identify and communicate feelings.
- Repeated episodes of gratitude, generosity, or related emotions.
- Compulsion to contribute to society.
- Persistent sentse of humor.
If 5 or more of these indicators are present, you may be at risk for full-blown health.
Resources That Offer a Multi-partiality View of the Israel/Palestine Conflict
Closing Thoughts
How can Brandeis “put it all together” as a campus community? What are the roles of the institution, faculty, staff, and students? Below are some thoughts, through the lens of living through a year of the COVID-19 pandemic/political change/social unrest:
- Life has stressors; this is normative, but living through our past year is anything but normal and brings about different forms of (often completely unexpected) stress. How has this impacted resilience in how the University as a whole, departments, staff, faculty, and students function? Below are some thoughts to consider:
- Policies and procedures to “slow the spread:” Adherence to federal, state, and local mandates regarding COVID-19 and how these apply to the physical campus
- Changes to classes: Impacts of synchronous/asynchronous, fully online/hybrid, syllabus flexibility, decisions about deadlines to support engagement but also allow for grace when needed
- Extracurricular activities: Impacts of clubs, athletics, community
- Social relationships: Impacts of social distance, technology/screen use, bandwidth of friends, family, colleagues, administration
- Internships and jobs: Financial impact, career planning, professional development
- Overall wellness (eating, sleeping, physical activity, safety, mental health): Experience of exposure to trauma/violence, access to food, recreation opportunities, Zoom fatigue, cold winter/less daylight, isolation, housing
- It may take some time until we are able to “bounce up” and embrace resilience at a holistic level, but there are things we can do intentionally in the meantime. Some ideas:
- Adjust the “internal bar” of achievement: What does this look like systemically at Brandeis, not just individually? It is ok to “do less and rest”; how best to communicate this?
- Advocacy: How does Brandeis as an institution support community members to speak up about a concern/ask for help, and what does response to advocacy look like?
- Tune into your needs as well. As advocates, supporters, and connectors, it is important that we also check-in with ourselves about our own bandwidth and ability to be present for others