Realistic optimism is when we combine the outlook that things are going to turn out well, with some realistic planning around the obstacles that we might face in order to get there.
Watch today’s tip from Dr. Jen to learn how you can use a ‘Plan A, B, & C’ strategy to help your child build this important skill. View it below or on our Facebook page.
I must say, I’m optimistic that the warm weather has arrived for Canadians! This month we are excited to focus our wellbeing energy on cultivating more of the important skill of Realistic Optimism.
We often hear sayings about looking on the bright side of life. Turns out that looking on the bright side can actually improve our mental and physical health. Mix that with a realistic look at obstacles and you have a strategy for success.
Achieving our goals can be challenging. If we defeat ourselves in our minds with a negative outlook before we get started, it can really hurt our chances of success. Realistic optimism mixes the belief that good things will happen with the knowledge that obstacles are a part of life and should be prepared for. It helps us link our dreams to the steps we will need to take to achieve them.
Here at the Umbrella Project, we are so grateful to work with some amazing schools building big umbrellas of wellbeing for their students.
Today we want to celebrate St. Agnes Catholic Elementary School in Waterloo. We’ve written about the big heart of this school community before, but they still continue to amaze us!
We attended their end of month assembly today and heard students being recognized for a month of growing their self-efficacy umbrella skills. Plus, the students had a chance to introduce next month’s skill to each other – Realistic Optimism! Stay tuned for more on this skill tomorrow.
Check out a few snapshots from the halls of this incredible school below!
Parents! Are you sharing in your child’s journey of building self-efficacy?
In today’s tip, Dr. Jen invites you to share your process of setting and achieving goals (despite difficulties!) with your child. This will help your child to believe in themselves even when times are difficult.
Watch the video below or check out the ongoing series of video tips on our Facebook page.
‘Paralyzing anxiety’ – scary words, but they’re coming up a lot for kids!
In today’s video tip, Dr. Jen talks about how we can help our kids turn anxiety from a paralyzing state into an empowering tool for building self-efficacy.