Wellness Wednesday #6: Mindset

Wellness Wednesday is a 5-15 minute "activity" each Wednesday that is aimed at exercising the mind in relation to the behaviors of well-being and mental health. Each activity will include practice for you to do during the week.

Mindset (April 29, 2020)

KEY POINTS:

1. Choose to see stress as a challenge, not a setback.
2. Growth mindset encourages you to embrace challenges, sustain effort, and try new strategies.
3. "Love challenges, Be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort and keep on learning." - Carol Dweck

ACTIVITY:

1. Watch the TED Talk Change Your Mindset, Change The Game by Alia Crum
2. Bonus Activity: If you would like to dive deeper into rethinking stress check out Stanford University Mind and Body Lab: Rethinking Stress

This week, challenge yourself to take the stress you feel from school, from family, from friends, from life (whatever it may be) and acknowledge it. Own your stress. Having a growth mindset will help you develop your abilities instead of feeling like you have to prove them. Imagine what we could do if we took some time to look at things a little differently? In these uncertain times let's try to change and grow our mindsets. 

The word stress is oftentimes used as a negative. We are always seeking ways to reduce it, but what if we looked at it differently and decided to use it. This means neither dramatizing nor downplaying the stress as it impacts you personally. Others may have it worse, but that does not change your situation/thoughts. How have you reacted to stress in the past, how can you respond differently (no judgement or critiques)?

Welcome the stress. Stress is normal. You stress because you care. Try connect to the underlying reason why you care and connect it to your values. You feel stressed because it relates to something deeply important to you. Utilize your stress: it is designed to help you advance and promote greater strength, resilience, and performance. Try to channel your time and energy into tasks that are aligned with your values.

Wellesley Athletics strives for excellence at the conference, regional, and national levels, while providing opportunities for students to achieve their potential and learn the values of discipline, leadership, critical thinking, and responsibility to oneself and others.