Why this matters
When students start college or university, they may face significant personal and academic stressors for the first time.
This resource can help build resilience and reduce the negative impact from stressful situations. That way, they aren't just surviving their post-secondary experience, students can thrive.
This resource can help build resilience and reduce the negative impact from stressful situations. That way, they aren't just surviving their post-secondary experience, students can thrive.
From Surviving to Thriving is not intended as a medical or mental health intervention. For significant or urgent challenges, reach out for support:
Contact a health care professional, the school’s student services, or Crisis Services Canada: 1 833 456 4566. For residents of Quebec, please call Services de Crises du Canada: 1 866 277 3553.
From Surviving to Thriving is inspired by research on resilience. It's 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. It then underwent a pilot program evaluation at Queen’s University, in early 2019. Read the Pilot Program Evaluation Report | PDF.
Another version of this resilience resource was developed specifically for 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. It also helps them develop healthy coping strategies.
Additional resources
- Be There Certificate. This course created by Jack.org helps to increase mental health literacy. It provides the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to safely support anyone 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.