Mental Health & Well-being, Grow
Healthy Relationships: Wellness Wednesday, Episode 3
10/13/2021
Bonny Shade was a 20-year-old college sophomore and sorority woman at Florida Gulf Coast University when she was sexually assaulted by a close friend. It took seven years — 3,136 days — to come to terms with it and say the words “I am a survivor” out loud, Bonny says.
On the third episode of our Wellness Wednesday series, Bonny shares her story and journey of survivorship.
After coming to terms with her identity as a survivor, Bonny began thinking about what she would have wanted to know about sexual violence and survivorship as a college student, as a mom and as a professional in this field. So she started writing curriculum. She then traveled to talk with college men and women, corporations and companies large and small on the topic.
“It’s really helped me come to terms with my story and fall in love with it even more,” Bonny says.
In the episode, Bonny suggests coping mechanisms and ways to process what a survivor may be going through.
Physical
Find a physical activity that calms you down. It may be a walk, a workout, or a drive with the windows down and wind in your hair.
Mental
Caring for your mental well-being is so important. Trying something that stimulates the creative side of your brain, like journaling, may allow you to cope in new ways.
Emotional
It’s so important to be able to talk about your story and begin to process. Talking to someone who isn’t a friend, sorority sister or family member can be extremely helpful in continuing your journey of survivorship.
Watch the recorded episode and find additional resources here. When you’re in Minerva, take time for some personal reflection as you explore Kappa’s additional wellness resources.
Mark your calendar for the upcoming webinar with Bonny, A Conversation About Healthy Relationships, on Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. ET.
A special thank you goes to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation for not only supporting our sisters, but for funding this series so everyone — not only Kappas — can focus on their mental health and well-being.
