CONTENT WARNING: This post contains language and ideas around race and racism.  People who have been racialized may feel uneasy or even angry when engaging in this work.  Please recognize and allow yourself to take a step away when needed.  For those who have greater privilege, we encourage the practice of “courageous self-examination.” 

Welcome back to the Student Wellness Center’s Fall of Brave Connections! In this week’s reflection, we will focus on the courage it takes to embark on the inner work of racial justice. 

In the SWC Reflections post Who Are You Really? A 3-Step Process to Know Who You Are and What You Want, we encouraged those of us with greater privilege to take the necessary steps that contribute to a community where there is equity and opportunity for all – even if it’s uncomfortable at times.  But what are those “necessary steps”? For those of us that want to take action but are not quite sure where to start, it’s often helpful to start with…you guessed it… ourselves (and no, this is not selfish work, but an imperative step in unraveling the deep history of racial injustices). 

By taking time to identify our own relationship to inequity, race, and racism we can begin to “recognize and accept where we are and to investigate what must be changed to minimize the harm that our own views and blindspots cause others” and that this step, according to law professor, social activist, and mindfulness teacher, Rhonda McGee, is essential to the work of racial justice.

When it comes to exploring your own views (hidden and otherwise) related to race and racism, try this 4-step process* as a way to begin to examine your beliefs, conditionings, and behaviors. You may learn something about yourself you didn’t know was lying just beneath the surface.  And it might be uncomfortable. That’s where bravery comes into play. If we are to actively engage with social justice, we must be willing to see our own biases and racist tendencies and aim to unlearn them. Acts of bravery are rarely the easy way, but they are often the actions, words, and thoughts that create a better world for all.

As you consider race and racism in your life, gently and boldly move through these steps:  

1. The first step is grounding, or pausing – allow yourself the time and space for silent contemplation; to sit in awareness. Try our 5-minute Breath Awareness meditation to ground yourself and strengthen your attention.
   

2. The second step is seeing – with courageous self-examination, think of a time when you were interacting with someone of another race, a time when the fact of racial difference became apparent to you somehow. Ask yourself:
   
   What were some of the thoughts running through my mind?
   What notions of race do I recall being a part of this experience?
   

3. The next step is being —recognize and acknowledge that there is race and racism in your life, in your community, and in you. It’s not just something that exists elsewhere.  This part is key as it unlocks the ignorance that leads to complacency and inaction. You may notice a level of discomfort arising as some of what you will encounter doing this work will be unpleasant. 
   
   As a tool (even the most brave souls use tools!) to work with challenging feelings and thoughts, try out the evidence-based RAIN practice to help bring mindfulness and compassion to difficult emotions.
   

4. The final step is doing – be willing to engage in discussions about race, utilizing deep listening, non-violent communication, and taking risks to speak about race and other forms of social identity bias.
   
   Connect with the Office of Pluralism and Leadership for additional ways to advocate for social justice and/or for further education for communicating across differences, recognizing bias, and intervening in moments of harm.
    

*Inspired from the book The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulness by law professor and mindfulness teacher Rhonda Magee.

This is hard and challenging work, but now is the opportune time to lean into discomfort, and discover all the ways we can contribute to a world where every being is welcomed.  By knowing ourselves deeper, we can let go of unintentional harmful behavior and move towards greater equity and acceptance for all. 

If you are interested in exploring this topic in greater depth with your community, reach out to Laura.Beth.White@Dartmouth.edu for more information on our Waking Up to Racism In & Around Us workshop.

As we travel further into the unfamiliar territory of ‘Brave Connections,’ we will introduce a tool that helps us to differentiate between knowing whether the new ideas we encounter are challenging and exciting to us or draining and worrisome. This week, we are zooming in on our “Stretch Zone,”* a term for the space beyond our “Comfort Zone,” in which learning, growth, and transformation can occur. When we connect courageously with new ideas, new people, and new perspectives, we are actively engaged. We might feel anxious, uneasy, inspired, or exhilarated, all the while remaining in a grounding and present state. But these strong emotions can walk a fine line. They may even tip us into the “Overwhelm Zone,” or into a place of panic and disconnectedness. Follow these tips for engaging in brave connections in a manner that maintains our ability to be engaged and challenged, while also confident and grounded.

The Dartmouth community is full of opportunities for each of us to slide into our stretch zones. In fact, our campus is teeming with possibilities for encountering diverse people, cultures, and perspectives! By knowing our comfort zone, recognizing when we are in an appropriate place to stretch and learn, and courageously stepping into the unfamiliar, we are setting ourselves up for continued growth and personal enrichment.

Reflection Question:

What are some ways I have stepped outside my comfort zone this term? What do I notice about my emotions or my physical state of being when I am being “stretched”?

*Inspired by terminology developed by the Mindfulness Institute for Emerging Adults

 “What makes any act brave isn’t that it’s easy, but that it is done even amidst uncertainty and discomfort.” -Excerpt from SWC Reflections Who are you really? A 3-step Process to Know Who You Are and What You Want.

Welcome back to the Student Wellness Center’s Fall of Brave Connections! As we explore ‘Brave Connections’, we will continue to dedicate time and space to bringing  greater awareness to what bravery really looks (and feels) like and explore the ways we can activate this strength more intentionally into our lives.  Along the way we’ll reflect on many of the ways courage can be expressed with either ourselves, with others, or with the community.

In this week’s reflection, we will focus on the courage it takes to know and be our authentic selves. 

Before we can be brave in being (or staying) who we want to be, we first need to recognize who it is we actually want to be.  What values are guiding us towards that vision and what gets in our way from consistently being that person? Here are three ways to help you get started today:

• Know yourself better with this 12 minute Headspace meditation that guides you to “Connect you with your Core Self” and reminds you of the “beautiful things that make you unique.”

• Get clear on your values by identifying what is most important to you and what fills you with a sense of purpose.  Free journal on your own or check out the Living Into Our Values worksheet exercise created by research professor, Brene Brown, to help you gain greater clarity around this.

• Deepen self-awareness and kindly notice the times your actions, thoughts, words and intentions are counter to who you really are.  Mindfulness-based practices are one way to help you strengthen your attention and shine light on the moments that are not “you”. 

For some of us, what keeps us from being “who we want to be” has nothing to do with what is outlined above, but rather has everything to do with the systems and structures that are in place that can stifle our ability to speak up, to be our full selves, and to feel a sense of safety and trust to do so.  

With “Brave Connections,” we ask you to take a moment to consider areas of your life where you are more privileged or hold more power than others. Consider the systems you benefit from and how you can use your own power to courageously contribute to a community where there is equity and opportunity for all – even if it’s uncomfortable at times.  What makes any act brave isn’t that it’s easy, but that it is done even amidst uncertainty and discomfort.  

Stay tuned for the rest of fall term as we outline specific ways to support you in stepping more into the discomfort and vulnerability that ‘Brave Connections’ require.

Reflection Question:

What does it feel like when you are living into your values? What does it look like?

“What we need is not just to create safe spaces, but to create brave ones, where people are encouraged to challenge each other…to establish a culture of belonging where all people feel they can be at the table.”

– Sian Beilock, President of Dartmouth

Hey Dartmouth, 

As we turn the corner towards a new academic year we want to warmly welcome all of the recent new arrivals to Dartmouth (including our new President Beilock!) and give an enthusiastic “welcome back”(!) to all of those that have rejoined our shared community 

Our team at the Student Wellness Center (SWC) wholeheartedly wants to help create a community where everyone feels supported in being who they want to be, while living a life they want to be living, and empowered to help others do the same. And we recognize that it can be a tall order (and more than a little scary) to express who we truly are without fear of judgment, let alone creating spaces for others to do so. 

With that in mind, we will be exploring ‘Brave Connections’ this fall and how we can tap into our strength of bravery to collectively build a culture of belonging and authenticity. 

To kick-start this theme, let’s start at the very top.  What do we really mean when we say bravery?  The VIA Institute on Character says that to be brave is to act on your deepest convictions, and to face threats, challenges, difficulties, and pains, despite any doubts and fears.

Beyond the physical acts of courage we normally think of (eg. fire fighter running into burning building), bravery can also encompass acts of:

1. EMPATHY – the ability to sense others emotions and imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling
2. VULNERABILITY – the ability to face uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure. 
3. COMPASSION – our ability to take the perspective of and feel the emotions of another person, and includes the desire to help.
4. GENEROSITY – virtue of giving good things to others freely and abundantly.
5. NON-JUDGMENTAL – letting go of the automatic judgments that arise in your mind with every experience you have. 
6. SELF-ACCEPTANCE – the ability to unconditionally accept both your strengths and your challenges (or areas of growth).
   

With those qualities in mind, our theme of ‘Brave Connections’ is all about recognizing that bravery is much more than exhibiting signs of power and strength. That it is equally, if not more, about tapping into the courage it takes to be vulnerable; to step into emotional uncertainty and let yourself be seen.  Whether it is through exploring our own inner worlds, connecting with others we typically wouldn’t connect with, exploring new and innovative ways of thinking, or creating spaces where all individuals feel encouraged to speak up and share their perspectives, ‘Brave Connections’ creates a culture that encourages authenticity and builds a sense of true belonging for everyone.

Each week this fall we will explore different aspects of ‘Brave Connections’ to  bring greater awareness to how bravery looks and feels and explore the ways we can activate this strength more intentionally into our lives within ourselves, with others, and in community. 

Our team at the Student Wellness Center (SWC) is grateful to have you as part of our community and can’t wait to get to know you better, 

Your friends at the Student Wellness Center

PS…
Remember the SWC is here for you – If you need someone to talk to we provide one-on-one wellness check-ins.  If taking time for yourself in a group experience would be best,  join in with others during our mindfulness meditations or  yoga classes. 

We’ll also continue to offer our Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) sessions to students who want to take a deeper dive into their wellbeing, our Sexual Violence Prevention Project (SVPP) trainings and offer other SWC resources and services.

Reflection: 

When have you felt the strongest sense that ‘you belong’?  What were the qualities of that time, space and of the people around you that contributed to that sense of belonging?