Starting back to school after summer always involves adaptation. Every school year begins with a lot of change. Everything feels new – new classes, new people in those classes, new goals, new standards, new routines, and new trends. Even outside of school, teenagers face numerous challenges. Resilience is not just about enduring tough times; it’s about thriving despite them. It’s important to learn to adjust instead of quitting whenever faced with a challenge. To do this, you must develop a resilient mindset. Kadence Carr (11th) shares her experience with this, and her belief in the value of resilience.
“If you have a good and positive mindset and outlook on the future, then it can help push and aid you forward into achieving whatever comes next or overcoming a battle. If you have a negative mindset, it will tear you down and won’t help you push forward, and you honestly might not even get through it. It will just make it so much harder,” Carr said.
As students face challenges, it’s important to practice becoming more adaptable. You can do this by building better relationships, embracing change instead of fearing it, establishing goals, managing stress, practicing problem-solving, and prioritizing physical and mental health. It is important to practice managing and working through smaller problems with grace so that when faced with adversity, you are more prepared to work through the situation. Sylvana Sizemore (11th) describes a challenging period and the importance of resilience during that uncertain time.
“When I was in the fourth grade, my brother was diagnosed with leukemia. I had to live with extended family members off and on for about a year. It knocked me down pretty far. I had to have a lot of resilience to keep up with school. Most people, you know, wouldn’t care about those kinds of things, but I had to keep up with my relationships and stuff like that. I persevered through all that, and I did a lot of great things with it. Instead of falling behind, I picked it up and I helped other kids who had that problem. It made me stronger as an individual because I was able to power through really tough times that, you know, made me the person I am today,” Sizemore said.
Setbacks are inevitable. By learning to overcome challenges, you will realize that you are stronger and more capable than you realized. Having faced challenges, you can inspire and encourage others who may be struggling. Resilience is essential for dealing with life’s highs and lows. By practicing resilience, you will begin to see challenges as opportunities for personal growth. No one is immune to hardship, but how you respond to adversity can determine your path forward.
