The team at Second Step have put together a free resource to help students build resilience in the face of difficult situations. These resources have been created for students in Kindergarten through to Year 12!
These short, research-based student activities are designed to help teachers support students’ coping and recovery following a crisis. Each activity focuses on a topic or skill known to support students’ coping and well-being.
Each activity is stand-alone, so teachers can choose the activities that meet their students’ needs. The activities are simple, require few materials, and can be adapted for remote delivery. Some are meant to be taught once, and others will be most effective if reinforced with ongoing practice.
Access these free resilience activities to use with your students by downloading the document below.
What is Resilience?
"Resilience is the ability to adapt to difficult situations. When stress, adversity or trauma strikes, you still experience anger, grief and pain, but you're able to keep functioning — both physically and psychologically. However, resilience isn't about putting up with something difficult, being stoic or figuring it out on your own. In fact, being able to reach out to others for support is a key part of being resilient." Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Resilience and mental health
Resilience is considered a protective factor for various mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety. Resilience can help to offset factors that increase the risk of mental health conditions, such as being bullied or a previous trauma. If you have an existing mental health condition, being resilient can also help to improve your ability to cope.
3 Secrets of Resilient People
In this powerful and courageous Tedx talk, resilience researcher, Lucy Hone shares the three strategies that got her through an unimaginable tragedy.
The 3 vital and learnable skills that resilient people possess
Resilient people know that bad things happen, that suffering is a natural part of life and that it is a part of every human existence. Resilient people are adept at carefully choosing where they focus their attention, they can appraise situations and manage to focus on the things they can change and accept the things they can’t – resilient people don’t diminish the negatives in their life but they choose to tune into the good.
Resilient people ask themselves the question: "Is what I am doing helping or harming me". They understand that their behaviours and thoughts can have positive or negative effects and they alter them to alleviate stressors and protect from harm.
Positive Pieces Education is the Australian and New Zealand publisher of the Second Step Social Emotional Learning program. Learn more