I’ll be honest—October completely got away from me. I blinked, and suddenly, it was November. Between traveling most of the month with my co-presenters—the Teddy Twins from Teddy Talks® and my animal puppets (each showing off their best fight/flight/freeze/fawn stress reactions), my calendar looked more like a Taylor Swift Eras Tour than a school psychologist’s schedule.*
*Note to non-Swifties: It’s gonna be okay, the Taylor Swift references end here…OR DO THEY???
Somewhere between San Diego and New Jersey, I realized that the October Thrive Archive was not going to happen, and at first, I was gonna push through to make it happen. Then, exhausted at an airport, I made peace with it. As a recovering perfectionist, I (reluctantly) made myself practice what I preach at Thriving Students Collective all day long: self-compassion (What? Doctors make the worst patients sometimes!)
I relaxed my standards to a level only I noticed.
Because honestly? No one was sitting around mid-October thinking, “Hey, where’s my Thrive Archive digest?!? How DARE she skip a month!” (Notable exception: my amazing marketing team. Sorrrry! Love youuuuu!).
So here’s the take home: Sometimes, giving yourself permission to do less is self-care.
🌅 Microhabit of the Month: The Gratitude Commute
Here in the US, we’ve rapidly moved from PSLs and Halloween season vibes to Thanksgiving vibes, so let’s talk about gratitude practices that extend beyond Thanksgiving. Let’s start with … traffic therapy.
You know those moments between work and home when your brain is scheming and planning for the start of day or still buzzing at the end of the day? This month’s microhabit turns that time into a mini gratitude practice.
🚦 Green Light = Go for the Good. When you hit a green light, think of a “green light” behavior for your day, like connecting with a student, collaborating with a colleague, or finally pressing “print” on that project you’ve been putting off.
🔴 Red Light = Stop the Spiral. At red lights, choose one thing you’re going to stop doing–worrying about that email, replaying that tough conversation, or trying to get to inbox zero. Harness your inner Elsa and let it go.
🔗 Seatbelt Click = Celebrate What Clicked. When you buckle your seatbelt at the end of the day, name one thing that clicked–big or small!
These tiny shifts don’t take extra time. They just take a different lens. And the research is clear that even small moments of gratitude have big wellness benefits.
💙 National School Psychologist Week: Find Your Path
It’s #SchoolPsychWeek, and my heart is full of gratitude for the incredible community of school psychologists in our Thriving Students Collective who show up every day for students, families, and each other.
You are the calm in the chaos, the connection in the crisis, and the champions who keep students moving forward even when the system feels heavy!
So, as we celebrate National School Psychologist Week and this year’s theme, “Find Your Path,” we’re giving back to you—the helpers who help everyone else.
🎁 Our Gift to You:
- Free School Psych Week Handouts you can share with your school teams to highlight your impact and build understanding of your role. Click here!
- Free Live Webinar: Using AI to Clear the Path for Student Connection — discover how LilyAssist® can help you reclaim time for what matters most: kids over clicks. Snag your tools and info about the webinar here!
- Bonus Collaboration with Parallel Learning: (Nov 6th): Join me and two of my favorite SLPs on the planet (and Instagram): “Speech Dude” and “Sensory SLP” for a lively conversation on reigniting motivation for both students and staff. Register here!
- You + Me in 3D? This month, I’ll be live in Dallas at the Region 10 ESC conference on November 13th, helping educators bring executive functioning to life for their students. If you’re there, come say hi—I’ll be the one with the frogs and bears, teaching all about how to support students’ executive functioning skills
- School Psych Week Flash Sale: To keep the gratitude going, we’re offering a special celebration rate for The Thriving School Psychologist membership + LilyAssist Pro report writer (now with theme-based reports!).
👉 Click here if you’re an individual looking to be a part of our supportive community of school psychs!
👉 Click here to inquire about district group rates for school psychs (and additional roles , such as social workers, counselors, speech language pathologists, and teachers!)
Because thriving school psychologists don’t just find their path, they also light the way for others.
🧸 Cringe TikTok of the Month: Teddy Bears on Trend!
Another moment of gratitude…Our Teddy Talks® podcast family just wrapped Season 1! We have 15 episodes of parenting (and re-parenting) goodness now streaming everywhere podcasts live: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube!
I’m endlessly grateful to our partners at GoKidGo and Suzanne Tucker, PT, CEIM Tucker of Generation Mindful for helping us bring “big idears for little ears” to life!
And my latest cringe TikTok? Check it out here on TikTok or Instagram. I tell ya, these bears are always on trend…
Next up: We’re already recording Season Two of Teddy Talks® AND be on the lookout for “The Fate of Ophelia” music video WITH BEARS…🤣
With gratitude,
If you’re interested in being a part of the Thriving Students Collective community and would like more information about how to bring the Thriving Students Platform to your school or district, CLICK HERE to connect with us.
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Dr. Rebecca Branstetter is a school psychologist and founder of The Thriving Students Collective, which provides professional development, engaging online courses, and a supportive online community that prioritizes whole-school wellness and equips educators and parents with practical tools to empower every learner’s success. She also has a TikTok account all about burnout prevention in K12 that her daughter has endorsed as “Cringe, but good dancing.”
