Responding to stress with resilience Dr Karisha Kimone George

Event details

Mental Health Awareness Week event

Perfectionism, anxiety and stress are closely intertwined. They represent increasingly urgent mental health issues, especially following the pandemic. Young people in particular are suffering. Our talks explore how these issues undermine our wellbeing and how to recognise when a reasonable reaction develops into something more harmful. They also offer constructive tips for managing and improving your mental and physical wellbeing over time. How can we break out of the perfectionist’s cycle of self-defeat? How do we avoid the ‘thinking traps’ of anxiety? How can we learn to respond to stress with resilience?

Learn how to set realistic goals for the things that matter most to you. Hear about ways to challenge negative thought patterns. In our over-demanding society, remember, above all, to use compassion in reframing self-criticism.

While these talks can be useful for everyone, students may find them particularly helpful.

If you or somebody you know needs support, help is available:

• Open Door - a team of mental health practitioners and Student Wellbeing Officers providing support to University of York students
• TalkCampus - app providing peer-support for student mental health, free to download with a University of York student email address
• MIND - charity offering support and tackling stigma and misconceptions around mental health
• Samaritans - offers free listening support to anyone in crisis, available 24/7, 365 days a year

What is ‘resilience’ and how does it relate to wellbeing? What is the difference between flourishing, survival and dysfunctional resilience? Learn about the resilience model with Dr Karisha Kimone George, who shares key advice on how to find meaning in the stressful ‘valleys’ of life. How does ‘finding meaning’ differ between people and why is it so important to our wellbeing? Find out what wellbeing really means, how to develop a growth mindset and strategies that you can practise to sustain this over time.

Other events in this series: 

• A conversation about anxiety: Its impact upon us and how best to manage it
• Perfectionism: The hidden epidemic?