From the Leader of Wellbeing and Learning - Junior Campus

Resilience

Resilience is directly related to wellbeing; it is about having the ability to cope with and adapt to new situations. Being resilient and positive, with a sense of wellbeing, enables a person to approach other people and situations with confidence and optimism. This mindset is especially important for adolescents, given the enormous changes and challenges they face throughout adolescence.

Why is resilience important?

Adolescents experience a tremendous amount of physical and mental growth on a daily basis. Between school, co-curricular activities, work and their social life, teens face lots of new experiences and challenges. Being resilient gives them the ability to tackle these head-on, bounce back from any setbacks and have the best chance at succeeding. It allows them to learn and grow in all situations – two skills that are crucial to wellbeing and development. Resilience will also help them to approach new situations, people or experiences with confidence and a positive mindset, which will make them more likely to succeed.

Growth mindset

A mindset is the sum of the various beliefs people hold about themselves. These self-perceptions determine their behaviour, outlook and mental attitude. For example, people may believe that they are either ‘intelligent’ or ‘unintelligent’. Developing a growth mindset is essential in building students’ personal and social capabilities, including self-awareness and self-management.

Adolescents need to be taught that failure can be a precursor to success and is a necessary component of learning. The only way to succeed with tasks, assignments and exams, in physical activities such as sport, and in life in general is through perseverance and persistence, and by embracing and learning from failure. This is a growth mindset and a key aspect of developing resilience.

Bouncing back from adversity

Resilience is defined as the ability to bounce back from adversity. It is a necessary skill for coping with the ups and downs of life and one of the key ingredients of success. A number of things impact a person’s resilience, including their previous experiences, their sense of self, the coping strategies they have developed over time and their mindset.

By helping adolescents to develop the skills to build resilience and a growth mindset, we can minimise the effects of negative, stressful situations. These skills allow adolescents to face challenges, learn from them, and develop ways to live a happy and healthy life.

Mrs Andrea Utoikamanu
Leader of Wellbeing and Learning - Junior Campus
Leader of Wellbeing - Year 10