Resilience
in Action
Stress touches every part of our lives — from responding to disasters and navigating demanding workplaces to supporting young people and caring for our families. Our blog explores practical, evidence-informed ways to manage stress, prevent burnout, and build resilience at every level: individual, family, workplace, and community.
Through insights, tools, and stories from the field, we share what we’re learning about preparedness, wellness, resilience, and creating healthier communities. Whether you’re a professional, parent, educator, community leader, or simply looking for ways to better manage stress, we’re here to help.
Explore our latest posts and discover practical ways to build resilience, together.
Need Immediate Support? Consult These Valuable Resources If You’re Experiencing A Mental Health Crisis
How Do I Know if I Need Help? A mental health crisis is not always about a life-threatening emergency, or suidical thoughts. You can reach out for...
Which Resiliency Education Program Is Right For Me or My Group?
At Resources for Resilience™ we share simple strategies, practical tools and research-based resources that individuals, teams and communities can...
Rapid Resets: Simple Tools & Tricks To Calm Down Fast
Our nervous system thrives on simple, consistent care. In our trainings workshops and professional development programs, we teach practical,...
Study Finds Resilience Education Increases Confidence, Connection, and Recovery After Community Disaster
When Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina in September 2024, the impacts extended far beyond damaged roads, homes, and infrastructure....
Managing Holiday Stress, The RFR Way
The holiday season is often filled with moments of joy, connection, and celebration. It can also bring long to-do lists, family dynamics, travel...
Understanding ACES: Why Resilience Education Helps Buffer the Effects of Childhood Adversity
“(Adverse Childhood Experiences) are the single greatest unaddressed public health threat facing our nation today.” Dr. Robert Block For...
Rooted In Research: How Our Work Reflects Decades of Global Data in Public Health
One of the most valuable parts of RFR's mission is that it is informed by evidence. Decades of scientific research show that resilience can be...
Prevention & Preparedness First: Why a Proactive Approach To Public Health is the Key To Healthier Communities
When it comes to public health, many organizations provide critical services, attention and resources after a crisis has already occurred. The...
The Ripple Effect of Resilience: How One Person’s Growth Can Influence An Entire Community
When we think about our impact, we often measure it in numbers. How many people attended a training? How many workshops were delivered? How...
Leading A Movement: Why Our Work Matters Now More Than Ever
If you're a funder, partner, policymaker, provider or other type of community leader, the question is no longer whether we can afford to invest in...
Our Unique Approach to Community Care: Why We’re Different!
When people think about stress, mental health, or trauma, they often think about what happens after someone reaches a breaking point. But what if we...
How to Support Our Work In Ways That Work For You!
As hardship, suffering, and isolation continue to impact our everyday lives, Resources For Resilience holds fast to our conviction that everyone...
“Community-Maxxing”: The Importance of Building Stable Connections & Support Systems
We're often told that happiness comes from focusing on ourselves: better habits, more self-care, personal growth, and individual success. But new...
The Geography of Stress: How Where We Live Shapes Our Well-Being
Stress is not just about what's happening within us. It's also about what's happening around us. According to WalletHub's 2026 analysis of the most...
Simple Tools To Help Navigate Community Tragedy & Trauma
If you've ever felt 'gutted' after hearing about a violent crime or crisis in your local community, you're not alone. Community violence affects...
Two Years Later: Acknowledging “Post Helene Stress Disorder” & Continued Healing Across WNC
It’s hard to believe that two years have passed since Hurricane Helene changed Western North Carolina forever. As September and October approach,...
Project Wrap-Up: A Look Back at the GROW-NC Partnership
A Year of Community Recovery, Resilience, and Impact When Hurricane Helene struck Western North Carolina in the fall of 2024, it changed our...
Building Resilient Families with the WNC Bridge Foundation
Resources for Resilience Awarded IMPACT Grant to Expand Family Programming Across Western North Carolina Resources For Resilience is excited to...
Event Recap: 2026 Resiliency Ambassador Certification
On June 12-13, 2026, a cohort of ten certified Resiliency Champions came together for Resources For Resilience inaugural Resiliency Ambassadors...
FREE Resiliency Education for Rutherford & McDowell Counties
Disaster Relief Grant Recipients Resources for Resilience is excited to announce that we have recieved a generous grant from the North Carolina...
Rooted in Resilience: A Look Back At Our Founding Story & The Women Who Shaped Us
WHERE WE STARTED In honor of Women's History Month and International Women's Day, we wanted to give a shout out to the group of women who are part...
Last Call! WNC Residents Urged To Take Advantage of FREE Trauma-Informed Programming For Helene Recovery
With their large funding stream scheduled to end at the end of June, Resources For Resilience is urging residents to register for this free...
Simple Tools, Powerful Results: Accessible & Inclusive Stress-Management Strategies for those with Mobility Limitations
Most nervous system regulation advice starts with movement: take a walk, tap side to side, push against a wall, or try other somatic "Rapid...
Mental Health Matters: What the Data Reveals
Mental Health: a dynamic state of psychological, emotional, and social wellbeing that enables people to cope with stress, cultivate relationships,...
Resources For Resilience Named 2026 Recipient of ‘Good Health Good Business’ Award
Resources For Resilience is proud to announce that we are the recipients of the 2026 Good Health Good Business' Award from the Asheville Chamber of...
Resilient Schools In Action: Supporting Students, Families, and Educators Across WNC
Since 2017, Resources for Resilience has partnered with more than 60 schools across North Carolina. Through Resilient Schools in Action, we are...
Look for the Glimmers: Micro-moments of Awe, Joy, Safety & Regulation
Life moves so quickly and can feel overwhelming. It can be easy to miss the tiny moments in life that help us feel human. Even in the middle of...
Local Leader Spotlight: Cultivating Resilience With Ann DuPre Rogers, LCSW
Western North Carolina is home to countless leaders who strengthen the wellbeing of our communities, especially in the wake of Hurricane Helene....
Feet Firmly Planted: A Conversation with Ashley Putnam
Conversations in Resilience is a storytelling series from Resources for Resilience, created to elevate the voices of the people doing this work...
10 Actionable Ways To Be A ‘Resiliency Steward’
Thank you for being here! Thank you for being a valuable member of our network, a trusted guardian of this work, and a key enabler to the longevity...
Social Workers: The Glue Holding Our Communities Together
March is National Social Work Month, and the this year's theme is 'UPLIFT. DEFEND. TRANSFORM.' With over 810,000 social workers across the U.S., it...
Practical Tools For Finding Steadiness and Strength in Turbulent Times
In the previous post, we learned about how and why the news cycle and current events can affect our nervous systems. Now, we’ll share practical ways...
Awareness & Activation: How the News Cycle Affects Our Nervous Systems
If you’ve noticed yourself feeling heavy, unsettled, or mentally exhausted after consuming the news, you’re not alone. Many people feel overwhelmed...
Finding Resilience Through Connection: A Conversation with Katherine Gutschenritter
Conversations in Resilience is a storytelling series from Resources for Resilience, created to elevate the voices of the people doing this work...
Mantener La Calma Durante La Tormenta: Herramientas Prácticas Para Manejar El Estrés y La Ansiedad Relacionados Con El Clima
El clima extremo no solo afecta las casas, carreteras y líneas eléctricas, sino también a nuestros sistemas nerviosos. Los sobrevivientes del...
Staying Calm Through the Storm: Practical Tools to Manage Weather-Related Stress & Anxiety
Extreme weather doesn’t just affect homes, roads, and power lines — it affects our nervous systems. For people who have lived through hurricanes,...
When The Storm Doesn’t End: Understanding Weather-Related Trauma
For a long time, trauma had a different name. It was once called shell shock, a term used to describe soldiers who returned from war changed by what...
Scared, But Not Alone: Helping Kids Feel Safe & Connected During Extreme Weather Events
Parents and caregivers play a powerful role in shaping how children experience stressful or unpredictable weather events like hurricanes, flooding,...
Hitting “Close To Home”: How to Cope With The Emotions of Extreme Weather, Especially If You’ve Lived It Before
As survivors of Hurricane Helene will tell you, past trauma has a way of “compressing time.” Extreme weather can stir up more than logistical stress...
What is Resilience, Anyway?
Resilience is one of those words society and culture throws around, stitching into corporate mission statements or motivational speeches. Yet...
Resilience Is Rising, Data Shows
As communities across Western North Carolina continue navigating the long arc of recovery from Helene, a recent Forbes article offers a surprisingly...
Stronger Together: Free Trainings Help WNC Manage Stress & Build Resilience
Resources For Resilience invites community members to plan ahead with practical, easy-to-use skills that support wellbeing throughout the year....
2025: A Year in Review, And Looking Ahead!
As we approach the end of 2025, we are filled with gratitude for our community partners and participants. Our local community faced unprecedented...
Event Recap: First Annual Professional Development Institute for Resiliency Educators
Earlier this month we hosted a professional development conference for our certified Resiliency Partners, made possible with funding from the North...
CEUs: Where Education & Excellence Meet for WNC Public Health Professionals
As many public health providers know, structured professional development is essential to ensure professionals stay licensed, up‑to‑date, and...
The Science of Stress: What’s Happening in Your Body—and How to Reset
Resources For Resilience specializes in nervous system stabilization and trauma recovery. Our tools are grounded in applied neuroscience, emotional...
Stronger Than The Storm: An Ode to WNC’s First Responders
During Hurricane Helene, first responders played a critical role in Western North Carolina by conducting rescues, providing emergency aid, and...
The Ginkgo Tree: A Living Symbol of Resilience
If you’ve attended one of our programs or seen our marketing materials, you may have noticed the ginkgo leaf. That’s no accident. At Resources for...
Helping The Helpers: Resiliency Education Expands in WNC Amid State-wide Recovery Efforts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 1, 2025 -- ASHEVILLE, NC: Asheville-based nonprofit Resources For Resilience™ (RFR) has collaborated with a variety of...
One Year Later: Acknowledging Post-Helene Trauma As WNC Communities Continue To Rebuild & Recover
It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly a year since everything changed in Western North Carolina. This September and October marks one year since...
What ‘Wellness’ Means to Us
Every August, National Wellness Month reminds us to take proactive steps toward better health. While the word "wellness" is often associated with...
Back to School Tips for the Whole Community
A new school year can bring both excitement and anxiety, no matter who you are. Whether you are a student starting on a new campus, a parent...
Healing from the Inside Out: Brain Science, Building Trust, and Growing Community Wellness with Eastern NC Neighbors
Resources for Resilience™ (RFR) doesn’t just offer a one-time train-the-trainer experience and then expect new partners to be fully prepared to lead our two-day Reconnect for Resilience™ (Reconnect) trainings; instead, we offer a six-month Resilience Educator Apprenticeship Program (REAP) that allows emerging trainers to observe, practice, reflect, and build comfort and capacity as a leader in this work…
A Most Beautiful Resource
Recently, I was invited to participate in a Reconnect for Resilience™ (Reconnect) training at one of my favorite places on the planet – Hope Reins. Hope Reins serves children in crisis using horses, a beautiful 33-acre ranch, human connection, and words of hope and faith. It is a healing place. This space and these people mean a great deal to my family. I am mom to two daughters who arrived into our family through adoption…
Restoring Self-Compassion
In a training at a county jail, we were asking participants to imagine how different trauma scenarios might affect someone. We described the following hypothetical situation: Rob’s Grandma, who raised him, had a stroke. She was on life support and died. Rob was in jail at the time and couldn’t go to the funeral. We asked our participants to imagine how this might affect the Rob’s thinking, emotions, or…