Develop social optimism
Source: https://www.york.ac.uk/students/support/success-at-york-toolkit/optimism/social/ Parent: https://www.york.ac.uk/students/support/success-at-york-toolkit/optimism/
Social optimism involves seeing your experiences as providing opportunities to enhance your social skills.
In other words, how can you develop socially from what happens to you?
Videos
Video
Coping with loneliness and isolation at university
In this video from Unite Students, Lois shares her tips on how you can cope with feeling lonely at university.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GCZ9NWrdn8&ab_channel=UniteStudents
Video
Tips to help with loneliness
In this animation from their Mentally Healthy Universities programme, Mind share their tips on how to cope with loneliness as a student.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Mh_zqsrXC8&ab_channel=Mind%2Cthementalhealthcharity
Video
The power of believing you can improve
Think about a problem that is slightly too hard for you to solve - are you not smart enough to solve it? Or have you just not solved it yet? Dr Carol Dweck discusses these two different viewpoints and offers tips on how to adopt a growth mindset.
Podcasts
Nayna Florence, a university student, takes on a big sister role on this podcast that talks you through all the challenges she faced at university, and how you can learn from her successes and mistakes.
Further reading
Militant optimism: a state of mind that can help us find hope in dark times (The Conversation)
Next steps
Now you have explored resources to help with developing a stronger sense of social optimism, the next step is to complete our activities to help you set some goals.