The capacity for inner renewal is essential for everyone, but it holds particular significance for those in helping professions. Recognizing this, the Academy of Experience Association has developed the Art of Resilience training program. This initiative provides professionals and volunteers working with young people with tailored strategies, practical methods, and support for their mental well-being through experiential learning.
Participating in trainings like The Art of Resilience can be a transformative journey, offering personal growth and insight into our inner resources. In this article, Elaine shares her experience during the seven-day course held by the Academy of Experience in the tranquil Bükk Mountains of Hungary in May 2024.
Through self-reflection, group activities, and unexpected moments of connection, Elaine reveals how the program helped her regain confidence and resilience. Her story underscores the power of stepping outside one’s comfort zone, discovering inner strength, and fostering well-being through shared learning and intentional self-care. Continue reading to discover how she found resilience.
‘When I applied for this course, I was at a fairly low point in my life. I was taking time away from my job and had lost much positivity and self-esteem. Being given this opportunity to attend the Art of Resilience was a step in the right direction, to feel better within myself. It helped me gain some new insight of how interactions with complete strangers can be so varied, and then so utterly refreshing. These experiences have helped me feel more like myself again, as well as giving me a new sense of gratefulness, and more understanding of resilience that I didn’t have before attending this course.
From the beginning of the course, I had to come out of my comfort zone. It required me to participate in activities such as introducing oneself along with talking about an object found in the immediate environment, that I felt I could relate to and speak about. Another activity involved contemplation, ‘In what situations would you like to be more resilient?’ During this activity, I felt a surge of sadness and hurt, emotions that I thought I had recovered from. This showed me that although I thought I had ‘recovered’, I still harboured some painful memories.
Another activity involved, getting put into pairs then attempting to climb the Jacob Ladder, which was filled with much negotiation with my teammate, and a mutual trust and respect was gained from our agreement being followed. One other challenge for myself was allowing others to take the lead to organise a fun filled day for teenagers with auditory difficulties. This was hard for me to avoid trying to direct the group and plan the day, as I was an experienced teacher, but instead I allowed myself to be a team player and be involved when opportunities presented themselves.
Through these seven days of learning and constant reflection, my emotions were very up and down. Though, on the one hand, in some peculiar way, it was much easier to allow myself to go through these emotions as this random group of people. On the other hand, I felt like maybe I embarrassed myself, and would they now judge me? I did feel that maybe some distanced themselves from me. I also believed that it was okay to be who I am, especially if that is how I have always been. So perhaps it is just not possible to have a connection with everyone or have everyone like you; and that is something that I still need to learn to accept. I think learning to accept this, and appreciate all the connections I did make with a wide variety of people was an important step in regaining a sense of faith in who I am.
And in fact, I feel the ‘mismatch’ of the group including the vast range of ages helped to enrich this experience for all. It allowed me and others to make acquaintances with people that we usually wouldn’t mix with in our normal lives. It allowed me to appreciate again, how everyone is unique, whether in their upbringing, beliefs, culture, sexuality, aspirations, or ways of thinking and expressing themselves, and therefore it opened up another personal learning opportunity.
So, overall, I met some amazing individuals who put in the time together with effort to get to know me better. Some showed me empathy when I never expected it. As a group we supported each other to push ourselves to our limits, and in turn, I was surprised to see how the simple act of kindness has restored some faith in me towards others. The course has helped me reflect, understand my own resilience more. But more importantly, it has helped to achieve my best hope and learning goals for this training. It has made me feel more like ‘me’ again.’
The Art of Resilience Training Course was funded by the Erasmus+ programme of The European Union.
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