Greetings,
As you reflect on the past few months of 2023, ask yourself how many new things have you tried? Action for Happiness has released their November calendar and this month's theme is about trying new things! The piling up of daily tasks to be completed mixed with the routine and monotony of the workday can really wear on a professional's burnout level, and motivation to perform well at work (Forbes, 2014). One way to combat this feeling can be trying new things inside and outside of our work day! Learning something new, getting involved in a new activity, or approaching the world curiously and inquisitively is both excellent for brain health and our overall well being. When we learn something new in a sense we are "exercising" our brain because the centers that control concentration, attention to detail, memory recall, problem solving, and RESILIENCE are all activated (Harvard Medical School, 2015). From a psychological standpoint, trying new things (even if we end up not liking them) produces dopamine release in the brain (NIMH) which not only gives a temporary feeling of joy and happiness, but can also be chemically healing to any mental health stress that is ongoing at the time. This video provides more detail about how exactly you could take on this challenge and the amazing benefits that follow!
As we move through November, let's expose ourselves to new ideas, new perspectives, new skills, places, or faces. Full disclosure that learning something new does not have to be formal training. It can simply be joining a social group, joining an activist group, trying a new walking path, trying singing, painting, photography, dancing, theatre, downloading a podcast that you've never listened to before, cooking a new recipe for your family, taking a new work commute to campus, and so on.
This month, the counselors challenge you to use this calendar to motivate yourself to try new things. Each day of the calendar provides easy ideas for trying something new- big or small! Some more ideas could be finding new ways to care for your loved ones, using the strengths you already have in a brand new way, or even sharing bits of your personality in ways you have not tried before. We encourage you to take note of how you felt before trying a new activity (mood state, physical state, alertness level) and take a comparison of your overall state afterward. Again, the results may surprise you!
As we approach Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Month, consider the addition of something new to your holiday rituals. 
. As always, please reach out to any of the campus counselors for support on your mental health wellness journey!
. As always, please reach out to any of the campus counselors for support on your mental health wellness journey! Cheers to a New Things November,