Finding the Positive: Your Mental Health and Wellbeing Matter

Burnout can take many forms, and no matter where you find yourself in the experience, remember that you are not alone. Whether you’re just beginning to feel the weight of exhaustion or have been struggling for some time, give yourself permission to pause, set boundaries, and prioritize your wellbeing. Taking care of yourself isn’t selfish; it’s essential. Your mental health matters, your needs matter, and most importantly, you matter.

In the Wellbeing Elixir course, you’ll cover an array of strategies and research to help you find joy in your job, yourself, and the world around you. The following techniques and tips are merely a glimpse at what the Wellbeing Elixir has to offer.

Finding Support During Challenging Seasons

“It is our most challenging seasons that serve as our greatest teachers.”

Challenging seasons are inevitable, but we don’t have to navigate them alone. Whether you’re managing a demanding workload, experiencing burnout, or facing personal difficulties, having the right people in your corner can make all the difference. These are the people who encourage you, challenge your perspective, and remind you of your strengths when you need it most.

So, who’s on your pit crew of support?

Cheerleader 📣	The person who helps pick you up when you’re feeling down.
Challenger 👏🏾	This person is not afraid to tell you like it is. They often provide a new point of view—sometimes their advice can be uncomfortably honest.
Comfort zone crusher 🏋️‍♀️	Who gets you out of your comfort zone? The TSN (Try-Something-New) friend.
Motivator 🎤	Is there someone who may be ahead of you in terms of goals, but they inspire you because they show you what is possible?
Safe space friend 🤗	This person makes you feel comfortable, always makes you laugh, and is there to lend an ear to listen.

The people on your pit crew are there to support you through life’s challenges, offering encouragement, perspective, and motivation when you need it most. During these difficult seasons, practicing active optimism can also help you challenge negative thoughts and focus on constructive steps forward. And sometimes, it’s the people in your corner who help you see those possibilities.

Finding the positive

The Happiness Advantage 😊

In his TED Talk, The Happiness Advantage: Linking Positive Brains to Performance, Shawn Achor explores how positive emotions can influence our motivation, creativity, and performance.

One of the central ideas behind the Happiness Advantage is that happiness doesn’t have to be the reward for success. Instead, cultivating a more positive mindset can help us approach challenges and pursue our goals.

Think about how often we move the finish line for ourselves: Once I finish grading, I’ll feel less stressed. Once I get through this semester, I’ll finally relax. Once I accomplish my next goal, I’ll be happy.

But what if we made room for moments of joy, gratitude, and connection along the way?

Small Ways to Find the Positive

You don’t need to make drastic changes to your routine to begin shifting your perspective. Try incorporating a few of these simple practices into your day:

Mindfulness vs Mindlessness: Where are your thoughts?

Have you ever sat through an entire meeting only to realize you barely remember what was discussed? Or found yourself replaying a difficult classroom interaction long after the day has ended? When we’re juggling countless responsibilities, it’s easy to slip into autopilot without even realizing it.

That’s where mindfulness comes in.

Mindfulness is the practice of intentionally paying attention to the present moment without judgment. Rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, mindfulness encourages us to become more aware of our thoughts, feelings, and surroundings as they happen.

Mindlessness, on the other hand, occurs when we move through experiences on autopilot. We might zone out during a meeting, eat without noticing, or react to a frustrating email before taking a moment to consider our response.

These automatic reactions can also influence how we interpret difficult experiences. But, thinking about what you want your response to be can be tricky! Often, we tell ourselves negative thought stories—we catastrophize and go well beyond one experience as if it explains everything. “It happened once, surely it will happen again and worse.”

Small Ways to Practice Mindfulness

• Concentrate on an anchor. ⚓ A common anchor is often your breath. By anchoring your thoughts to your breath, you can notice when your mind wanders off and what it wanders off to. When it begins to wander, move your mind back to your breath.
• Let it be. Be an observer of it. Once we observe it, savor the good and let go of the anger and self-doubt. Acknowledge that it exists but know that there are other ways to think about it.
• Immerse yourself in an activity. 📖 Give your full attention to something you enjoy, whether that’s reading, gardening, completing a puzzle, or taking a walk. Allow yourself to be present without focusing on what’s next.
• Make time for intentional breaks.☕ Your energy often wains in the afternoon. Aim for three small breaks per a day.
  • Take a walk
  • Take a social break
  • Reach out to someone to connect with
  • Write a letter or note of gratitude
  • Do a short-controlled breathing exercise

Turn your ANTs 🐜 (Automatic Negative Thoughts) into PETs 🐶 (Positive Empowering Thoughts)

We’ve all experienced moments when our inner critic takes over. Maybe a lesson didn’t go as planned, you received disappointing feedback, or you fell short of your own expectations. Suddenly, one difficult moment turns into a much bigger story about your abilities.

“That lesson was a disaster. Nothing went right. I’m just not good at this.”

But what if you challenged that thought and approached the situation with a little more compassion?

“That lesson didn’t go as I hoped, but I learned what I can do differently next time.”

Turning Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) into Positive Empowering Thoughts (PETs) isn’t about ignoring mistakes or forcing yourself to think positively. It’s about replacing harsh self-criticism with a more balanced, constructive perspective.

The way we speak to ourselves influences how we approach challenges, respond to setbacks, and recognize our own capabilities. Practicing more supportive self-talk can help us manage difficult emotions and move forward with greater confidence.

Give Yourself the Compassion You Give Others

Think about how you would respond to a colleague or student who was struggling. Would you criticize them for making a mistake, or would you offer encouragement and remind them that one setback doesn’t define their abilities?

Now, consider extending that same compassion to yourself.

One way to practice is by writing a self-compassion letter. Reflect on a situation where you felt disappointed, overwhelmed, or frustrated with yourself. Acknowledge what happened without judgment, recognize what you were feeling, and write the words of understanding and encouragement you would offer a friend. Return to that letter whenever you need a reminder to be kinder to yourself.

Reconnect with Your Confidence and Purpose

How we talk to ourselves can also shape our sense of self-efficacy, and ultimately, our belief in our ability to take action and achieve goals. When we recognize our strengths, learn from setbacks, and acknowledge progress, we can begin to build greater confidence in our ability to navigate challenges.

Take a moment to reflect:

• Is there a problem or challenge that emotionally moves you to take action?
• What kind of work would give you a sense of satisfaction or fulfillment?
• What kind of work feels effortless to you and drives your curiosity to learn more?

The Power of Visualization

The beauty of visualization is that you can practice new patterns and actions in your mind without fear of failure in the physical world. Visualization allows you to make multiple attempts to get it right before even trying it. By trying alternatives and correcting mistakes during visualization, you are programming your mind to help you overcome obstacles.

Whether you’re preparing for a difficult conversation, working toward a professional milestone, or simply envisioning a healthier, more fulfilling life, visualization can help you clarify what matters most and identify steps toward achieving it.

Create a Vision Board

Turn Your Vision into Action

Visualization exercise: Put an alarm on your phone and place yourself in a “scene” pertaining to a goal from your vision board several times a day. Integrate the feeling of this imagined “current” reality into your day and night, and it will blend into who you are. It will inevitability grow more and more natural and evident to your brain. This desired reality will increasingly feel as if it is already your reality—all you need to do is step into it!

You Wellbeing Matters, Too

You don’t need to completely transform your routine to begin prioritizing your wellbeing. Start small. Reach out to someone you trust, take a meaningful break, challenge a negative thought, or recognize something that went well.

Some days will be easier than others, and that’s okay. The goal isn’t to feel positive every moment or eliminate every source of stress. It’s to create space for yourself amid everything you’re managing.

You spend so much time showing up for others. Remember that you deserve that same care and compassion.