I don’t talk about this often, but Thriving Students Collective didn’t start because I went to business school, had a clever idea, and crafted a business plan to get started.
It started when my mom got terminally ill.
At the time, I was deep in my career as a school psychologist and side hustling as a private practitioner to make ends meet, doing the thing so many of us do: caring a lot, working all the time, telling myself I’d slow down after the next report, the next meeting, the next school year.
In fact, during this time period, my young daughter DREW A WANTED POSTER about me because I was always working on my laptop after work to “keep up.” Ouch.
When my mom’s health changed, it cracked something open for me.
Not in a dramatic thunderclap like the movies, but in an unsettling “Something has to change..but I don’t know if I can find another way.” Hyper-hustle was the only way I knew how to be in an under-resourced school district.
I realized how short life actually is, and how much of it I was spending exhausted, rushing, and postponing joy for “later.”
That’s when it hit me: It shouldn’t take a crisis for us to start enjoying our lives.
And yet… that’s often what it takes.
So many educators and mental health providers don’t come to burnout work because they identify as burned out.
They come because something forces them to pause, like an illness, loss, a breaking point, or a moment where they realize, I can’t keep doing this like this.
My organization, Thriving Students Collective® was built to interrupt that pattern–before the crisis. You don’t have to be like me and wait for a breaking point to break the stress cycle, folks.
We don’t break the patterns with dramatic life overhauls or unrealistic self-care advice, but with small, research-backed microhabits that actually fit inside real school days. The kind of changes that feel almost too small to matter… until they all of a sudden stack into something bigger.
🌱 Microhabit of the Month
There’s a lot happening in the world right now. Even when we’re trying to stay focused on gratitude and caring for our families and students, that weight has a way of finding us.
Heavy headlines, worry about how to help families and schools impacted by immigration raids, and horrific stories about our systems failing to protect children from predators, all linger in the background and seep into our classrooms, our offices, and our nervous systems. As educators and mental health providers, we don’t just notice this, but we carry it. Often while still showing up with patience, steadiness, and care for others.
So this month, we’re slowing things down and returning to something both simple and powerful: self-compassion.
Not the fluffy, bubble-bath version you might imagine. The real, research-backed kind that actually helps reduce burnout, increase resilience, and keep you grounded in the work when things feel heavy.
Psychologist Dr. Kristin Neff a pioneer in self-compassion research, defines it as treating yourself with the same kindness and understanding you’d offer a friend.
And let’s be honest—if your educator bestie forgot to reply to an email, missed a deadline, or felt overwhelmed and paralyzed by the collective trauma in our world, you wouldn’t say:
“Wow. What is wrong with you? Get it together.”
So why do we talk to ourselves that way?
Here’s the microhabit we’re focusing on this month:
When you catch yourself spiraling into self-criticism, pause and ask: “If my colleague or best friend were in this exact situation, what would I say to them?”
Then… say that to yourself.
Research shows that self-compassion:
- Reduces stress, anxiety, and depression
- Increases motivation, optimism, and agreeableness
- Builds emotional resilience
- Cope with work challenges and feel more competent and effective at your jobs
- Actually leads to more self-care—not less
PEOPLE. If self-compassion came in pill form, we’d all be asking our doctor about a prescription and would buy it even if insurance didn’t cover it! Luckily, it’s FREE99, available in real time in your mind, and works best during the school day.
✨ Bonus: When students see adults model self-compassion, they learn it too.
💗 Want to Go Deeper? Your Self-Care Language Matters
One reason microhabits to protect yourself from vicarious trauma and burnout work is because they’re personal. What restores one person might completely drain another (for me, the thought of dragging myself to the gym alone after work makes me want to poke my eyes out, but going to a hip hop class with friends on the weekend makes cardio seem like a party!).
That’s why we created a Self-Care Languages freebie — to help you identify how care actually lands for you.
This isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what actually helps and letting go of the rest.
👉 Grab the Self-Care Languages guide + Make Habits Stick 2026 Calendar + Microbreaks for Educators to learn which microhabits will actually stick based on your unique “Thrive-o-Gram” personality profile!
🤝 You + Me in 3D: Why Community Care Matters
Here’s something I’ve learned the hard way: Burnout doesn’t heal in isolation.
Yes, individual habits matter. But community care is what makes them sustainable.
Being in rooms (virtual or in person!) with other educators and mental health providers who get it changes everything. It reminds us we’re not alone. That’s why I love conferences and live trainings so much…they’re not just PD, they’re nervous system regulation and upskilling through connection.
Here’s where I’ll be in February, loving on learning with y’all:
1) Join me at the Learning and the Brain conference (over Valentine’s Day weekend!) where I’m doing a pre-conference workshop on one of my favorite topics–helping students love learning! I’ll also be in the exhibit hall with cool swag if you can’t make the workshop so come say hayyyyy!
2) If you’re a school psychologist attending National Association of School Psychologists annual conference in Chicago, there’s so many ways to connect!
I’m honored to be a featured speaker on burnout prevention, presenting a 3-hour AI workshop, and co-presenting with Kristi Peters, Ed.D, NCSP on MTSS! Plus, me and my team at Thriving Students will be in the exhibit hall demoing our LilyAssist AI assisted report writer and giving out cool swag!
Let’s geek out, laugh, and remind ourselves why this work matters…together!
(P.S. If you are a member of Thriving School Psych…check your inbox or our private forum for a special NASP conference meet up!)
🧸 Teddy Talks® Is Back for Season 2!!!
One of the brightest spots in all of this? Teddy Talks® podcast has officially been green-lit for Season 2! If you’re new to Teddy Talks®, it’s a story-telling podcast for kids ages 4-8 and their caregivers to learn all about emotional wellness in a playful, age-appropriate, and fun way.
What started as a fun kids’ mental health podcast in collaboration with an award winning children’s podcast organization GoKidGo and the cycle breaking parenting geniuses at Generation Mindful has now become something even bigger:
- Kids learning coping skills and mental health habits early
- Educators using episodes in classrooms and calming corners
- And my favorite…Adults listening and realizing, “Wait… I needed this too.”
There’s something powerful about learning self-compassion, repair, and regulation through play — whether you’re five or forty-five.
If you haven’t checked out Teddy Talks® yet, I’d start with a highly topical episode with former news anchor Brooks Jarosz (and my twin teddy bears!) for two important conversations:
🧸 A kid-facing story telling episode designed to help children feel safe, grounded, and heard when the world seems scary.
🎙️ A Teddy Talks® After Hours discussion for parents, caregivers, and educators navigating hard questions and heightened emotions (in themselves and kids!)
Both episodes are available on our Teddy Talks® YouTube channel, making them easy to watch, share, and return to when you need support.
Catch up on Season 1 before Season 2 arrives with more stories, more big feelings, and yes… more bear puns!
🎬 Cringe TikTok of the Month (A Cautionary Tale)
And finally… this month’s cringe content.
It’s me. Cosplaying as an influencer. Almost poking my eye out with mascara.
All while telling the very real story of how I crawled out of burnout — not through discipline or hustle — but through self-compassion.
It’s awkward. It’s honest. It’s very on brand.
And if even one person watches it and thinks, “Okay… maybe I can be a little kinder to myself today,” then the mascara risk was worth it. Check it out on TikTok or watch on Instagram.
Small habits. Community care. A little humor. A lot of heart…
That’s how change sticks.
With you in every season, Rebecca 💛
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 teen daughter has endorsed as “Cringe, but good dancing.”
