RISE Blog | What Makes You You Part 2

By: Presley Black, Outreach & Marketing Graduate Assistant
March 3rd, 2023

College is known for being the time where you learn how to be yourself and how to be true to yourself. However, this time of our lives is only the beginning of the journey to understand yourself and live your best life.

In our last post about what makes you you, we talked about what makes you happy, personality tests, and your strengths. For this blog, we'll be diving deeper into what makes you you by looking at how to be your most authentic self and the difference between thriving and surviving.

How to Be Your Most Authentic Self

According to the Berkeley Well-Being Institute (2022), being authentic means that you act in ways that show your true self and how you feel. Your authentic self is the part of you that does not care what other people think and allows you to express that feeling openly.

Authenticity occurs when your actions, behaviors, and words match your true self (Christian, 2021). But how do we get to this point of being fully authentic? We can start by taking clear and practical steps towards becoming your authentic self.

Steps you can take towards authenticity:

Take personal inventory of your core values
- Ask yourself questions about when you feel the most safe and authentic in order to determine your core values (Russell, 2018)
Maintain your support system
- Pay attention to who you are spending time with and make sure that you are giving your attention to other authentic people
Be mindful
- Try to practice mindfulness and try to be present with yourself
Make authentic decisions
- Make decisions based on your values, not anyone else's

Surviving vs. Thriving

We live in a time where most of our basic survival needs are met. However, most of us are still living in survival mode (Poitras, 2021). When in survival mode, you're going through the motions of life, but it can feel like you are barely getting by.

It can be incredible draining, both mentally and physically, to live in survival mode. In this state, it's hard to find time to relax and replenish your needs. When you're in survival mode, you may only be able to look at current crises and situations. However, this does not leave you many resources to plan for the future and be present in the moment (Sharpe, 2022).

On the other hand, when you are thriving, you are driven by growth and acceptance. The biggest difference between surviving and thriving is that when you are thriving, you are in control and can make choices on what you want to do and where to focus your resources (Poitras, 2021). Thriving means that you make time to take care of yourself and your mental wellbeing. When you are thriving, you have a mindset of “what can I learn from this” that allows you to grow from life experiences.

Becoming You is a Process

Throughout our lives, we will continue to change and find our authentic self. Finding out who you are is an ongoing process and you may cycle through surviving and thriving mindsets as you go through this process. Luckily, there are plenty of resources to help you through surviving and finding your authentic self.

At RISE, we offer wellness coaching through Raider Recharge, a program that focuses on personal growth through discussion, self-reflection, and interactive activities. If you find yourself struggling in the survival state, give us a visit and we'll be happy to help! You can also take our online wellness assessment to guage your overall well-being. Another great resource is the Student Counseling Center. If you are struggling with finding yourself or getting to the thriving state, the professional counselors at the Student Counseling Center are there to help.

When it comes to authenticity and thriving, only you can determine what makes you your authentic self and what makes you happy. Make sure to prioritize yourself and what makes you happy. We are all deserving of happiness and deserve to find our unique selves.