‘59 Ways to Wellbeing’: enhancing personal resilience in students

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi37.1745

Keywords:

wellbeing, resilience, academic skills, belonging

Abstract

In higher education, students often face uncertainties in defining their academic and future pathways. Success requires not only academic skills but also resilience and a sense of belonging. Learning Development (LD) can address these evolving needs by combining academic skill-building with strategies that enhance personal resilience and wellbeing, ensuring inclusivity and equity in the student experience.

Wellbeing, which is closely linked to resilience, improves when personal resources are expanded (Fredrickson, 2001; Roepke & Seligman, 2015). Practical strategies that integrate resilience and wellbeing into daily life empower students to manage challenges effectively (Leppin et al., 2014). Despite rising concerns about stress and mental health, many higher education curricula lack wellbeing-focused activities.

This presentation introduces the ’59 Ways to Wellbeing’ resource, developed at the University of Surrey to address these gaps. Co-created with students, this calendar-style tool combines positive psychology and learning development strategies to promote resilience and wellbeing during two key academic periods: October, when students settle into university, and February, post-inter-semester break.

The resource offers 59 accessible and inclusive strategies that blend resilience-building with academic skill development. By incorporating these practices into their routines, students can better navigate challenges, foster resourcefulness, and enhance their sense of belonging.

The presentation showcases how educators can use this resource to design curricula and support systems tailored to students’ needs. Early evaluation findings highlight its impact on student wellbeing and resilience. Ultimately, this work seeks to inspire Learning Developers to create innovative, equity-driven resources and curricula that support both academic and personal development, empowering students to thrive in a rapidly changing educational landscape.

Author Biographies

Sarah Hack, University of Surrey

Sarah Hack is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Director of the Psychology Foundation Year. Sarah’s academic interests focus on enhancing student resilience and wellbeing, acknowledging the emotional and psychological challenges many learners face. She is particularly committed to developing practical, evidence-informed strategies to support student learning and engagement. More recently, her work has explored the potential of generative AI tools to enhance rather than undermine student learning. Sarah is an active member of the University’s Artificial Intelligence Educational Innovation Operations (AIEIO) group and co-convenor of the Surrey Reflections on Generative AI in Education (SURGE) Community of Practice.

Nayiri Keshishi, University of Surrey

Nayiri Keshishi is a Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences and Programme Lead for Social Sciences Foundation Year. Nayiri specialises in education with a focus on legal studies, alongside expertise in professional and academic skills development. Their research explores effective teaching methodologies in legal education and strategies to enhance student engagement and success, aiming to equip learners with the critical skills necessary for both academic and professional growth.

Hazel Wallace-Williams, University of Surrey

Hazel Wallace-Williams is a Lecturer on the Psychology Foundation Year. Hazel has professional experience in education, health, social care and fitness roles, and is interested in promoting behaviour change to improve health and wellbeing outcomes across the lifespan and especially the emerging adulthood life stage (16-25). Hazel is interested in HE initiatives which extend or embed wellbeing support and positive development for all students, with a focus on the links between physical and psychological health as well as restorative environments.   

Laura Hamilton, University of Surrey

Laura Hamilton is a Lecturer in Learning Development at the University of Surrey, working chiefly with the Psychology foundation year programme. Laura has worked in the field of learning development since 2017 at various HEI’s across the country. Her interests include working in partnership with lecturers to integrate learning development opportunities into the curriculum, and learning from one-to-one work with students to improve her practice and empower learners to develop their academic confidence during their time at university.

References

Fredrickson, B. L. (2001) The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, American Psychologist, 56(3), pp.218–226. Available at https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.218

Leppin, A. L., Bora, P. R., Tilburt, J. C., Gionfriddo, M. R., Zeballos-Pelacios, C., Dulhohery, M. M., Sood, A., Erwin, P. W., Brito, J. P., Boehmer, K. R., and Montori, V. M. (2014) The efficacy of resiliency training programs: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials, PLOS One, 9(10), pp. 1-15. Available at https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0111420

Roepke, A. M., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2014) Doors opening: A mechanism for growth after adversity, The Journal of Positive Psychology, 10(2), pp.107–115. Available at https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2014.913669

Downloads

Published

30-09-2025

How to Cite

Hack, S., Keshishi, N., Wallace-Williams, H., & Hamilton, L. (2025). ‘59 Ways to Wellbeing’: enhancing personal resilience in students. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (37). https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi37.1745

Issue

No. 37 (2025): Special Edition, ALDinHE Conference Proceedings and Reflections

Section

Conference Proceedings

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).