Guest post by Monica Wolter, Content & Engagement Strategist & Project Lead for the Live Well to Learn Well campaign, Student Communications Services
The mind is a powerful thing, and we use it to achieve seemingly insurmountable feats. Yet, far too often, our minds can hold us back and lead us to defeat. It’s common to get stuck in feelings of uncertainty, insecurity, or paralysis.
So, how do people train their brains to get them through challenges like ultramarathons, extreme temperatures, and—particularly for students–periods of high stress or anxiety?
Well, Navy SEALs use the 40% rule, a concept used to build mental toughness and overcome just about anything. The rule goes:
If your mind is telling you that you can’t go any further, you’ve really only done 40% of what you’re truly capable of.
This is a powerful realization.
With stress and anxiety rising to unhealthy levels among 65% of UBC students, and two-week long waits for access to student counselling, this year’s Live Well to Learn Well campaign is an opportunity to help students build their mental toughness.
From Oct. 19 until Nov. 30, the campaign aims to motivate students to start noticing their detrimental thoughts, and to consider the power of those thoughts. I worked with current UBC students to understand the typical thoughts that can hold a student back, and these were featured on large decals across campus. The twist? I reframed those thoughts to demonstrate more useful ways of perceiving challenges.
The result? Decals that make students across campus stop and think.
See below for a few of the decal designs.
The campaign also features a series of blog posts about students and alumni who have overcome serious mental concerns, including depression, thoughts about suicide, and anxiety. You may also notice booths around campus offering free, healthy snacks to motivate students to participate in on-the-spot thought-reframing exercises.
Finally, this campaign serves as a good reminder for all of us to ponder how we think and what we think. Are we only operating at 40%?