Skip to Main Content
Recreation and Wellness
oneColumn

Rise Above

The UNF Rise Above Resilience Program is a 24/7 online toolkit that provides UNF students with the resources to normalize failure and adapt to challenging situations to improve their wellness and success.

What is Resilience

The American Psychological Association defines resilience as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress - such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems or workplace and financial stressors. It means "bouncing back" from difficult experiences.

Do I Have Resilience

Being resilient does not mean that a person doesn't experience difficulty or distress. Emotional pain and sadness are common in people who have suffered major adversity or trauma in their lives. In fact, the road to resilience is likely to involve considerable emotional distress. Resilience is not a trait that people either have or do not have. It involves behaviors, thoughts and actions that can be learned and developed in anyone

How can I learn to be resilient?

See how you can learn resilience and find out about resources here at UNF.
pillars of resilience

Resilience banner

link icon on vertical banner
Strategize  
Smiley face on vertical banner
Trust  
Check mark on vertical banner
Recognize  
Calendar Icon on vertical banner
Invest  
Icon of an eye on a vertical banner
View  
Handshake Icon on vertical banner
Establish  

Recognize

Recognize that change is a part of life, but it doesn't have to be a negative experience.

Accept That Change is a Part of Living

Certain goals may no longer be attainable as a result of adverse situations. Accepting circumstances that cannot be changed can help you focus on circumstances that you can later.

Expressing Gratitude

Read more about the benefits showing gratitude can have on your life: Benefits of Gratitude

Gratitude Journal Apps

These apps provide you with prompts and space to write and collect your thoughts:

Establish

Establish routines and exercises to help you attend to your own needs and feelings.  

Take Care of Yourself

Pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Engage in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly. Taking care of yourself helps to keep your mind and body primed to deal with situations that require resilience.

Steps to a Self-Care Revolution

Taking steps to eliminate self doubt, practicing self care rituals, and choosing optimism can lead to a self-care revolution.

 
  

Are you stressed?

Take this quick online test to find out how stressed you actually are.

Invest

Invest in healthy relationships with those around you. 

Make Connections

Good relationships with close family members, friends or others are important. Accepting help and support from those who care about you and will listen to you strengthens resilience. Some people find that being active in civic groups, faith-based organizations, or other local groups provides social support and can help with reclaiming hope. Assisting others in their time of need also can benefit the helper.

Discover Different Types of Social Support: Social Support

Get Involved

There are several opportunities right here on campus that you can get involved in!

  • Student Involvement Center - There are over 200 student organizations
  • Club Sports - With 40 different sports clubs, there is something for everyone! 
  • Intramurals - Intramurals provides an opportunity to participate in recreational activities in a fun and safe environment while promoting physical fitness, social interaction, and campus involvement.
  • UNF Fraternity and Sorority Life - The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life empowers students to reach their full potential and become contributing citizens through developmental and intentional experiences that engage them in collaboration, leadership, and commitment to personal values.

Help Yourself and Others Bounce Back from Setbacks

  

Strategize

Strategize ways to move towards your goals. 

Move Toward Your Goals

Develop some realistic goals. Do something regularly even if it seems like a small accomplishment that enables you to move toward your goals. Instead of focusing on tasks that seems like it cannot be achieved, ask yourself, "What's one thing I know I can accomplish today that helps me move in the direction I want to go?"

Take Decisive Action

Act on adverse situations as much as you can. Take decisive actions, rather than detaching completely from problems and stresses and wishing they would just go away: Measure Your Resilience

Building GRIT

Trust

Trust that you have grown from past obstacles & hardships. 

Look for Self-Discovery Opportunities

People often learn something about themselves and may find that they have grown in some respect as a result of their struggle with loss. Many people who have experienced tragedies and hardship have reported better relationships, greater sense of strength even while feeling vulnerable, increased sense of self-worth, a more developed spirituality and heightened appreciation for life.

Nurture a Positive View of Yourself

Developing confidence in your ability to solve problems and trusting your instincts helps build resilience. 

Not sure where to start on your road to self-discovery? Take the Self-Assessment Quiz

View

View crises as they really are: difficult and stressful, but not insurmountable. 

Avoiding Seeing Crises as Insurmountable Problems

You can’t change the fact that highly stressful events happen, but you can change how you interpret and respond to these events. Try looking beyond the present to how future circumstances may be a little better. Note any subtle ways in which you might already feel somewhat better as you deal with difficult situations.

 

  

Keep Things in Perspective

Even when facing very painful events, try to consider the stressful situation in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective. Avoid blowing the event out of proportion.

Maintain a Hopeful Outlook

An optimistic outlook enables you to expect that good things will happen in your life. Try visualizing what you want, rather than worrying about what you fear.

Developing a Positive Mindset

Will you overcome your obstacles or will your obstacles overcome you?

 

  

Steps to Mindfulness:

Build your resilience by incorporating these mindfulness exercises into your daily life.

Mindfulness Handout

Steps to a Growth Mindset:

Develop a growth mindset through these activities and strategies that are available through this free online course.

Mindset Kit