Positive Psychology Workshops
The first thing that goes when we are faced with a stressor of any kind is the memory of all we have overcome in years gone by.
Let this be your daily, weekly, hourly signpost of how wildly capable you are.
Truly. Incredibly. Capable.
And if you ever need more than this note, let me know.
I will remind you how brightly you shine.✨
Fun Video: Mirror Affirmations.
#internationalwomensday #rolemodel
Growing up my Mom, my mentor, and the first psychologist in our family, didn’t talk a lot about women’s empowerment.
— She just lived it.
Today, and all days, I am grateful for a role model who began her journey from challenge to strength with incredible will and a heart of power.
A first time mother at 17 years old, the jumping off point for all that would unfold.
A single mom in her twenties.
One of few women working on our street.
Criticized openly for leaving her kids during the week and going back to graduate school in her 40s.
I lean in often for her wisdom, inquiring:
Her response:
“Sure it hurt, she says.”
”But my mission was always greater than my misery. And this is when I knew what I was truly meant to do.”
A teacher, a leader, and a mother who teaches me how to live with equal parts grace, fortitude, and tenderness.
Every chance WE get. 💃❤️💃
Who inspires you today?
No matter what happens today, know that in the end everything works out.
Trust me. I speak from experience.
My smile comes equally from a place of darkness and a place of light.
How would I ever know how good I have it today — if I hadn’t lived a life of challenge and adversity.
And the best part is that I get to revisit my twenties every single day.
A time where many of my life lessons were born.
Listening and learning with my psychology students on campus.
And staying in touch for years to come.
I will always be grateful for the tough times in my life — for this is where my strength lies.
I believe the same for you.
You are a diamond in the making.
This I know for sure. 💞💎
Related: I’ve never met a strong person with an easy past.
This blog post was written for all the students around the world writing final exams this week. Cheering them on! Encouraging them to not give up. This post is also meant for you – My Fellow Students of Life.
The idea we have for our life rarely, if ever, matches up with the life we end up with.
Yet something we seldom realize in the thick of difficulty.
Success is not a straight line.
This is the exact time when we need others to hold the light for us. To be an encourager. To show us the way.
Dreams ↔ Failure ↔ Destiny
1. Encourage people by sharing your own stories of difficulty and overcoming.
This helps others understand that no one begins their success journey at the top of the mountain. And that each failure is an opportunity to rise up. Again and again.
2. Hold a safe space for loved ones to ‘not be ok’ when overwhelmed.
Rushing anyone through difficult emotions will prolong feelings of fear, threat, and danger.
Instead, we can flip the switch by leaning into “the overwhelm” and asking: “What are you trying to teach me?”
3. The ultimate encouragement strategy is to believe in someone, especially when they don’t.
This helps shift their mindset from not enough to overflowing. Creating a new heightened vision for life’s unexpected bumps and detours.
How can two people experience the same stressful event and react in incredibly different ways? What explains the difference between stress thrivers and non-thrivers?
Research shows that some individuals possess a set of resilience skills and traits that allows them to flourish in response to stress.
“Resilience is what gives people the psychological strength to cope with stress. They understand that setbacks happen and sometimes life is hard and painful. They still experience the emotional pain, grief, and sense of loss that comes after a tragedy, but their mental outlook allows them to work through such feelings and recover.” Source: Living Well
Stress hardiness is a pathway to resilience – the ability to remain healthy and strong during stressful and challenging times.
Hardy individuals transform stressful circumstances into growth opportunities by reframing adversity and taking direct action in response to stress.
In the video below, I describe the 3 key components of stress hardiness:
1. Control
– Focusing on the things you can change and letting go of the things you can’t.
E.g., “You hold the key.”
2. Challenge
– Reframing stressful challenges as opportunities for growth.
E.g., “Strength Training.”
3. Commitment
– Envisioning a higher purpose above and beyond the immediate stressor.
E.g., “Ask yourself why you started.”
Each component a critical factor in cultivating the ability to bounce back and thrive under pressure.
Yes! Research demonstrates that not only can stress hardiness be learned, it has wide-ranging applications in health and wellness, including:
1. Lowering test anxiety in high school students.
2. Reducing perceived stress in college students.
3. Protecting against war-related stress in Army Reserve forces.
4. Improving resilience and coping skills in stressed out professionals.
Related Post: What's your stress threshold?
