By DePaul Healthy Trailblazer Journal (8A) staff | Resilience is the ability to bounce back from a challenge, according to Ms. Dickson, DePaul school counselor.

When people face problems and overcome them, they mature, she said. If they can’t bounce back, she said, they can get stuck in a situation.

Ms. Dickson said there are things you can do to help yourself deal with a problem. The first step is to stay calm and take some deep breaths. You can then start to plan what you need to do next to deal with the problem. She said you should adjust your plan as needed. You might not like your first plan or it doesn’t work out the way you had hoped.

Bouncing back from some situations can be harder than other situations, she said.

She said she often asks people for their help and advice when she has a problem. They can give her a different point of view. When she was in college, she said, she had a mentor who helped her deal with problems.

Ms. Dickson said resilient people are “problem solvers.” They are confident, creative, and flexible, she said. Being a problem solver not only can help you, but it can help the people around you. She said a good way to process your problems is by writing them down. This can help you break down the steps you will need to solve the problem.

By solving problems, she said, you can find joy. You didn’t back down.

“My advice for you guys, or for whoever is struggling, is to try to stay on track,” she told reporters.

Illustration by Michael, Stewart M.S.