Sometimes Smith feels like a bubble. During the height of the pandemic, I thought about this a lot. When I would go to pick up my hot meal at Dawes or when I would get my free weekly (or biweekly) COVID-19 test, where they would always have a stash of free KN-95 masks, or when I waited for the vaccine to finally roll out for the last age group for my son and I didn’t have to worry too much because I knew everyone in my building was vaccinated and boosted — at these moments I felt like being a part of the Smith community was like a warm hug.
However, even while emails and banners around campus boast the slogan “A Culture of Care,” the Smith community is not immune to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Research has tracked a heightened mental health crisis and a significant rise in students coping with mental health struggles. A recent nationwide study that surveyed 373 campuses found that between 2020 and 2021, more than “60% of students met criteria for one or more mental health problems.” But if you are a student, you most likely won’t find this surprising. Our bubble carries its own distinct kind of stressors, and you can see it just walking around campus. Students are burnt out.
Experts have noted that the world has gone through collective trauma together, a concept first written about by French sociologist Émile Durkheim. New England Psychologist explains, “Collective trauma differs from individual trauma as it is recollected in the memory of the group and creates a process of on-going reconstruction and reproduction of the memory in order to make sense of it.” Smith students have not escaped this. I see it on their faces at the salad bar when I get my dinner.
According to Psychology Today, “Collective trauma is extraordinary in that not only can it bring distress and negative consequences to individuals but in that it can also change the entire fabric of a community.” Smith is known for its community and for the most part we have been getting through, but I can’t help but think, where do we go from here?
Being that collective trauma affects communities as a whole, healing from it should ideally include some kind of collective action that brings members of the community together to process what has happened on a wider level. But how can individuals minimize its impact in their personal lives? Advice that I have found helpful is to maintain a regular self-care routine, be of service to others and to find joy in daily activities. Experts agree though that two main drivers in the healing process are doing things to build resiliency and maintaining human connection.
How exactly can one build resiliency? Rachel Larson, LMHC, CAMS-I, CPPT-Candidate writes:
- Practice authenticity: Being able to know and express your feelings is an important part of nurturing your resiliency. Talking with an emotionally-safe friend, joining a support group, writing in a journal and meeting with a trusted therapist are all ways to express and nurture your authentic self.
- Practice gratitude: Gratitude is an important component of happiness. Although there are many painful aspects of life after a tragedy or traumatic event, there are some things that we can be grateful for as well. Gratitude also indirectly bolsters our self-esteem, which is important in resiliency.
- Practice humor: Laughter is a great way to bear the difficult things in life. How do you know if you are using humor appropriately? A simple rule of thumb is to ask yourself if you are using humor to hide from your pain or to help you “lean into” your pain.
I have personally found the advice of Dr. Debra Kaysen to be especially practical. Instead of forcing feelings of hopefulness and positivity, she suggests “practicing acceptance of uncertainty.” Kaysen reasons, “There are other things that are out of our control, and we have to accept those things and let go of what we cannot predict.”
Healing after collective trauma isn’t easy, but history has shown that it can be done. While the process won’t happen overnight, don’t lose hope that it is possible.
For more information or to seek professional help, please contact The Schacht Center.
