Post Written By: Adeline Kerviel, PhD, Detailee at OITE
People know where to find resources for filing taxes, but what about help for taking care of mental health?
In the first two units of the OITE workshop “Becoming a Resilient Scientist”, Dr. Sharon Milgram introduced the concepts of resilience and wellness in the context of the scientific community. She also discussed cognitive distortions; these automatic negative thoughts that are magnified when one feels stressed by a situation.
When working in science, it is essential to constantly learn new techniques, formulate new ideas, and solve problems. But experiments don’t work all the time. When that happens, many tend to work to exhaustion; this persistence can be seen as a sign of strength. Fear, judgment, shame, and messages from the past can hold people back from using resources. Is it strong or weak to ask for help? As a community, it is possible to reframe using resources as an asset.
Resilience is the ability to adapt and grow through setbacks. The good news is that new skills can be found to navigate these difficulties and become more resilient. These will help focus on the process and the outcomes instead of being stuck on the problem. Trainees, mentors, and supervisors can all learn to make the research community as welcoming and open as possible regarding stress, expectations, and mental struggles.
As noted in the workshop, to be resilient, it is important to:
- Learn from previous experience,
- Built strong positive relationships with peers and mentors,
- Be proactive and use resources to thrive,
- Be mindful about how setbacks are approached,
- Develop an emotional literacy,
- Develop a growth mindset,
- Develop stress management/wellness practices,
- Do things that bring meaning and happiness every day.
Each item will be discussed during the following units of the workshop. Please register if you would like to learn more.
In this blog post though, we will focus on the third point: “Be proactive and use resources to thrive”.
The ability to sit with discomfort relates to tolerance. Tolerance is not “suffering no matter what”; it is the power to be with unpleasant emotions, while avoiding unhelpful behaviors and taking appropriate and helpful actions. Emotions are data that need to be recognized, acknowledged and interpreted accurately. By using emotional regulation, actions can be taken (or not) based on both cognitive and emotional data.
Tolerance is a learned skill involving self-awareness, self-compassion, and seeking advice and support when needed. Examining, understanding, and responding to emotions takes time and practice. The scientist’s ability to continuously learn new tools and be open to exploring new approaches and ways of tackling problems will help the community grow regarding mental health. Knowing that most importantly, they are not alone.
OITE is here to help guide and support trainees and mentors, and provides everyone the space and the resources to sit with uncomfortable feelings to become more resilient. Here are some helpful links for getting support:
