On World Mental Health Day, Ruth shares her belief that resilience is a skill that everyone should build to support their wellbeing. While discussing this year’s theme, Ruth encourages us to look at World Mental Health Day as a time to reflect on what we have in common in our individual journeys.
Written by Ruth Rodrigues, Research Lead, Master of Education, Social Justice Education
Having faced significant challenges during my undergraduate years, I often share my experiences with other students. However, I always highlight the topic of resilience in every conversation I have about mental health. I’ve found that rather than comparing my circumstance with other people’s, I have come to believe that resilience is the factor that bridges people’s stories together. Now, in my roles as both a student and staff member at the university, I try to encourage people to build up their resilience by focusing on what is within their control.
Being A Student on World Mental Health Day
When I had my intake appointment at Accessibility Services, I was an undergraduate student facing a lot of challenges. I met with an advisor who walked me through several types of accommodations I could request, but I felt hesitant. Sensing this, my advisor jokingly reassured me that I wouldn’t be robbing anyone of their own accommodations by simply using my own. The sentiment that I was not depriving anyone of resources by accessing my own both lightened up the mood and caused me to reflect further. It was around that time I started to realize there was nothing noble about refusing help. This was a personal breakthrough for me, since a major barrier in my undergraduate journey was validating my mental health needs.
This year, the theme of World Mental Health Day (WMHD) is “Access to Services – Emergencies and Catastrophes”, focusing on the mental health consequences of armed conflict and natural disasters. I’m usually very outspoken and proud of my progress in maintaining my own mental health, but I will be the first to admit that witnessing global catastrophes on a daily basis makes my problems seem small and insignificant in comparison. However, this year’s WMHD theme is meant to raise awareness of the resources that exist to support people, not draw comparisons. As I reflect on this year’s WMHD theme, I think about how many of these catastrophes and disasters are completely out of our control, and the important role resilience plays for our mental health.
I Was There Too – My Undergrad Years
While addressing my own mental health needs as an undergraduate student, I learned over time what it meant to be proactive and take action. I learned to identify when I needed support and began doing several things to cope with the stress of university. I changed my major a few times, I took a year off, and I even dropped down to part-time studies. There were many things I did to put my wellbeing first, but it wasn’t easy.
In one instance, I had to petition to withdraw courses late. I had inner conflict about whether or not I deserved to have the late withdrawal. The way I saw it, it was no one’s fault but my own for not completing a course. Even though I had a doctor’s note and a medical explanation for why it happened, I still wasn’t sure it was fair. I worried that I was taking the easy way out and wouldn’t earn my place at the university. Thankfully, my Registrar helped me by validating my right to a late withdrawal and reminding me that these services exist for a reason. My own situation was one of the reasons why these services existed, and it was the right choice to access them when I needed to.
Part of building resilience for me was letting go of the pride or ego associated with making the choice to take care of yourself. I needed to remind myself that letting my own needs go unaddressed didn’t help anyone. Looking back, this reminder has served me well ever since and showed me how resilience plays a big role in my life.
Brave Choices – Graduate Studies
Thanks to my experiences during my undergrad, I had a different mentality entering graduate studies. I felt more confident requesting accommodation and using any resources at my disposal. It was during my studies that I worked on my first project at the iHub as a work-study student – Student Journeys and Mental Health, in partnership with Health & Wellness. The student stories we listened to as part of this project conveyed what I learned in my undergraduate years. Sometimes, what feels like the choice to take one step backwards is the best way to take a few steps forward. By taking what I thought were radical actions at the time, I learned to cope during extremely difficult times.
Through working on the Student Journeys and Mental Health report, I learned the importance of keeping an open mind about what coping looks like for different students. What I liked about this report was the focus on resilience and what students can do when they are in control, while at the same time, not stigmatizing the times when students are no longer in control. I encourage everyone to think of resilience as the one thing in our control, and as a skill everyone should develop.
Building Resilience
We are all dealing with small daily stressors that may seem insignificant, but we can build resilience, so that these stressors don’t build up over time. As a student, stressors might include the anxiety that crops up during exam season, the sense of panic from missing deadlines, or experiencing conflict with classmates. We all experience challenging times, but I believe our goal is to build the resilience needed to confront our individual mental health needs. If this year’s WMHD theme resonates with you, reflect on some actions you might take to build the resilience you need to help yourself first. For students, you can make a brave choice for yourself by accessing many of U of T’s resources and supports, such as:
- Accessibility Services at one of U of T’s three campuses
- https://mentalhealth.utoronto.ca/ student mental health resource
- NAVI – Your Mental Health Wayfinder
- Good 2 Talk Student Helpline 1-866-925-5454. Professional counselling, information and referrals for mental health, addictions and well-being.
- U of T Telus Health Support 1-844-451-9700. Immediate counselling support is available in 35 languages and ongoing support in 146 languages
Sources
Health & Wellness: Student Journeys in Mental Health. The Innovation Hub. https://blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca/innovationhub/health-and-wellness-student-journeys/
WFMH World Mental Health Day 2025. https://wmhdofficial.com/wp-content/uploads/wmhd-2025-document_v01.pdf
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