As the summer holiday is fast approaching I thought I would start this post recommending some summer reading - PLEASE be active and new posts about books that you have found helpful on your resilience journey.

During the course we talk about our internal chatter - do you remember the parrots? I came across this article about the word "sorry" that I found really interesting.

Often, when we are stressed or feeling lost or down, we tend to think "there is nothing I can do to improve my mental health" - this way of thinking is restricting us. As we talked about during the course - the fixed and growth mindset - maybe apply a growth mindset and change your thinking to "what can I do"? These two articles are full of inspiration! https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-make-yourself-feel-better-right-now-5093352?utm_campaign=list_stress&utm_medium=email&utm_source=cn_nl&utm_content=27739572&utm_term=

May is mental health awareness month. It was started in 1949, by the National Association for Mental Health in the United States. Please find some material below from this year's campaign.

Soon the weekend is here and maybe you feel like watching a movie. As Ryan Niemic and Danny Wedding are writing in their book "Positive Psychology at the Movies: Using Films to Build Virtues and Character Strengths" - movies portray human behavior, thoughts, and emotions very well. We can use movies to get into a better mood or even help us if we need to cry. I came across the below list (link) of 11 movies (right now) that highlights the best in humanity. Lately, I have been watching the TV series "Derek" (on Netflix) - I find it absolutely beautiful. The series is written and directed by Ricky Gervais. The setting is an old people's home, where we follow the lives of the people living there and the caretakers. Especially one caretaker Derek (Gervais) is in focus, he is what makes humans great - kind, helpful, selfless, and with good intentions. The Tv series is about life - the good and the bad! You are welcome to share your favorite movie recommendation and why. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/eleven_films_that_highlight_the_best_in_humanity?utm_source=Greater+Good+Science+Center&utm_campaign=ce3cbe5367-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_GG_Newsletter_March_24_2022&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5ae73e326e-ce3cbe5367-70739287

We all know the feeling of emotional or physical tension, often triggered by an event or a threat. In today's world, these threats may come from social connections where we feel criticized, rejected, disrespected or maybe someone is talking to us in a cold tone, are interrupting us, or something else. We feel the stress as the heart is beating faster and the stress hormones are released. During the session on "positive emotions" we talked about the "Fight, Freeze or Flight" mode, and how we react during times of "negative threats". I found some articles about stress and what we can do to help ourselves during these times.

During the past few weeks, the winter Olympics have entertained us. In the news we have followed the scandals, the ups and downs, the joy, maybe even learned about a new sport. This got me thinking - what can we learn about resilience from the athletes? I found some youtube videos and some articles about the subject - and it turns out - we can learn a lot from them.

"Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual" - Viktor Frankl In the module about meaning, we explore meaning. Here are some resources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPcUb-zteLs Also, here are some books that might be of interest: •Frankl, V. (1946/2004) Man’s search for meaning •Kaufman, B.S (2021) Transcend •Seligman, M. (2011) Flourish – A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and wellbeing

Here are a few videos about mindset and different ways to think.

During this course, we have often talked about the processes that start in the brain. Here are a few videos:

If you want to read more about resilience here are a few articles that I recommend. https://www.apa.org/topics/resilience

As we talked about in class resilience is the word for what we do (the positive outcome) after difficult or challenging life experiences. It is about how we adapt to adversities. Here are a few videos on the subject.

Here is a small blog about the connection between the brain and the gut.

I want to share this great article about how we form a good relationship with our children. It is full of practical advice and steps. Enjoy reading it. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_deepen_your_relationships_with_children?utm_source=Greater+Good+Science+Center&utm_campaign=60340f022a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_GG_Newsletter_December_2_2021&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5ae73e326e-60340f022a-70739287

In the "Healthy body and mind" module we talk about the importance of taking care of our overall health. This small video is about stress and how stress affects our brains. We know that some stress is good, but what happens to our brains when we are chronically stressed? The video ends with positive news and what we can do to help ourselves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuyPuH9ojCE

If you want to know more about mindfulness and character strengths!

Here is an idea on how to use your character strengths