Resilience & Wellbeing

Formerly known as the Resilience hub, the SAY toolkit was developed as a resource to support students' wellbeing and resilience during their time at university. It includes a range of TED talks, playlists and activities to guide students in the development of core resilience skills such as strategic and reflective thinking, grit and a growth mindset. The toolkit is now a university-side provision and was developed and continues to be supported by Dr. Karisha George, the University of York’s Student Wellbeing team, and College staff.

Ways to get involved: Have a look at the SAY toolkit and engage with the resources there. And give feedback! 

Email: success@york.ac.uk

Based on the success of SAY, the development of a similar hub for the Hull York Medical School is in progress. This will focus on including a range of talks, playlists and activities to support medical students as they pursue their degrees. Content will cover issues such as perfectionism, workaholism, and isolation.  

Ways to get involved: Have a look at the SAY toolkit and engage with the resources there and give us your feedback on what should be included for medical students! 

Email: success-in-hyms-toolkit-group@york.ac.uk  

The Resilience and Wellbeing Committee (RWBC) is a student group that runs a series of wellbeing events throughout the academic year. These have included scavenger hunts, and 'things I love about myself' activities. Most recently the students have joined together with other community groups in the Psychology department to form the Psychology Wellbeing hub - this larger group is focused more broadly on improving students' feelings of belonging in the department. This hub enables the RWBC to coordinate with the other groups to have continuous events targeting majority and minority student interests. 

Ways to get involved: Become a member of the RWB committee and get involved in running events focused on supporting student wellbeing, contribute a blog or podcast to the student website, or send any ideas you may have concerning wellbeing events that can be run in the department to the champion.

Email: psychology-student-wellbeing@york.ac.uk 

As part of the work of RWBC, the students run regular Craft and Chat sessions (approximately 5 times each academic semester) around the other student events being run in the department. These have included Crocheting pumpkins and decorating wellbeing boxes, and provide students with opportunities for creative self-expression.

Ways to get involved:  Attend any of the sessions and give us your feedback on how it went. Send any ideas you may have on what crafts we can do together to support student wellbeing in the department to the champion. 

Email: psychology-student-wellbeing@york.ac.uk 

Developed following a small research project into the experiences of East Asian students at the University of York, the Intercultural Committee is focused on running events which create a space for East Asian students to engage with Home students and share aspects of their cultures while learning about other cultures as well. The Intercultural committee has also joined forces with the other student groups in the Psychology department to form the Psychology Wellbeing Hub. Their events will be run alongside those of the other committees, and will include Conversational afternoons where all students will be given the opportunity to learn a language from another culture.  It has also been picked up by the Faculty of Sciences, and incorporates students from all Departments including Chemistry, and PET.

Ways to get involved: Become a member of the ICC committee and get involved in running events focused on promoting engagement between East Asian and Home students. Contribute a blog or podcast to the student website. Send any ideas you may have concerning events that can be run in the department to the champion. 

Email:psychology-student-wellbeing@york.ac.uk 

Launched in early 2023, the BAME Chill Corner is a student committee within the Psychology department which focuses on providing a safe space for brown- and black-skinned students to speak about their experiences in an informal atmosphere. The Committee will be working alongside the University's BAME officer to run a series of events focused on creating similar opportunities university-wide. These will include events such as games nights, as well as talks on Black Mental Health. The Chill Corner has also joined forces with the other student groups in the Psychology department to form the Psychology Wellbeing Hub, and has been picked up by the Faculty of Sciences, and incorporates students from all Departments including Chemistry, and PET. 

Ways to get involved: Become a member of the BCC committee and get involved in running events focused on promoting engagement between East Asian and Home students. Contribute a blog or podcast to the student website. Send us any ideas you may have concerning events that can be run in the department

Email: psychology-student-wellbeing@york.ac.uk

The peer mentor scheme was launched in the Psychology department in 2021 in order to link first-year students with a mentor who is currently a third-year student in the department. As part of this scheme, the mentors take their mentees to a range of social activities in the University and the wider York city as well as advise them on department-related issues and the general ins-and-outs of student life. The mentors also receive training related to the role including training on Professional Resilience and maintaining Professional Boundaries. 

Ways to get involved: Consider becoming a peer mentor to incoming first-year students.

Email: peer-mentors-group@york.ac.uk. 

 Research Project: How do self-efficacy and self-assurance impact achievement and wellbeing in ethnic-minority university students?