By Mark Woolsey

The non-profit Cobb Collaborative believes in the concept of resiliency- so much so that it will devote a whole week to the best ways to achieve it next month.

The agency has dubbed February 3-7 as “Resiliency Week,” says Executive Director Irene Barton. A series of discussions and training, a working summit, verbal intervention training, a journaling workshop, a retreat, and other programs are scheduled.

Resiliency has been defined as the ability to bounce back, and ideally more strongly, from challenging situations and adversity. And Barton notes that no shortages of macro-scale challenges have come society’s way the past few years.

For example, she says the pandemic created many issues surrounding loneliness and isolation. And “social media accounts and the phone are no substitute for human interaction.”

“‘Look at how many likes my post got’, but that’s not really connection.”

She said such faux connection fails to deliver needed chemicals to the brain and heightens stress.

Barton says that’s cause for concern given the current political situation, mass shootings and other violence, and an increase in depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation, particularly among the young. She traces all that back to a lack of connection.

She suggests taking moments to appreciate one’s surroundings and the good things therein, keeping a gratitude journal, practicing good sleep hygiene, building a strong support network, and being cognizant of social media use as practices that promote bouncing back.

“It’s a lot like building your (physical) core,” she says. “You have to do it a little bit at a time and on a very consistent basis.”

Barton says Wednesday’s half-day summit will include a keynote speaker, a panel discussion, and networking time. While it’s open to all, “It will probably be of more benefit to folks who are serving other folks… people in public and private health professions as well as in education.”

She says while the events are nominally free, a suggested donation will be asked for them.

Barton says while they’ve done programs on the topic over the last few years, this is their second full-blown summit.

The collaborative’s website states that its purpose is to educate, engage, and empower local people and organizations to improve outcomes for children and families. It focuses on mental health, literacy, and civic engagement.