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Resilient Brain Project

Breaking Down Barriers to Mental Health Through Accessible, Therapeutic Learning

  • Identity & Discrimination
  • Life Changes
  • Grief & Loss
  • Productivity
  • Confidence & Body Image
  • Stress
  • Relationships & Sexuality*
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Addictions
  • Trauma & PTSD
  • Emergency Resources

Life Changes

“Over the course of a lifetime, a person can expect to experience a significant amount of change. Some of these changes…are generally positive…[while others] may cause a significant amount of stress.”
GoodTherapy

Actions For Now

Steps (& Apps) to Reduce Symptoms
  • “10 Ways to Cope With Big Changes”: Try this advice from Psychology Today
  • “7 Things You Need To Know To Deal With Major Life Changes”: Make sure you’re emotionally prepared for your transition
  • “Guided Meditation For Change”: A half-hour meditation to help you move forward in life
  • Moving Forward Through Transitions: This worksheet was created by Lea Sloan, M Ed, LPC, BCC, to help you figure out your goals and strengths when moving through a transition
Health Changes
  • “5 Tips For Dealing With A Life-Changing Diagnosis”: Dr. Joel Young shares reliable ways to gain comfort and further information following a diagnosis
  • “5 Easy Ways to Reduce Stress and Increase Health As You Age”: Scientifically-backed methods for coping with age-related changes in stress and overall wellbeing
  • “Coping with a Terminal Illness”: An end-of-life care guide, with attention to the emotional experiences that follow terminal diagnoses
Apps
  • Shopwell: Helps you navigate food purchases based on new dietary needs and restrictions
  • Habitbull: Receive incentives for engaging in personalized habits, from refraining from alcohol to walking to work to remembering to take your medication
  • Changing Health: A lifestyle-change app for individuals with type 2 diabetes
  • SuperBetter: Play games that strengthen your emotional resiliency
Home Changes
  • Moving Checklist: A thorough checklist for preparing your new home, packing, cleaning, and more
  • Foursquare: Find exciting places to eat, experience entertainment, and more in your new location
  • Pet Movers: Get support transporting your pet to your new location
Apps
  • The Big Moving Adventure: Teach your child what to expect in your next move
  • Various Apps: These apps are designed to help you find an apartment
Parenthood
  • National Parent Helpline: Receive emotional support from trained counselors at this helpline (1-855-427-2736)
  • “8 Ways for New Parents to Get More Sleep”: Parents share how they maximized their sleeping potential
  • Infant CPR: Learn how to perform CPR on your child
  • “Top 10 Breastfeeding Tips”: Advice for those getting used to breastfeeding
  • The New Parent Podcasts: This podcast from Hand in Hand Parenting talks about recovering from difficult births, developing good responses to your child’s crying, helping your baby with separation anxiety, and other important steps
  • “How to Lobby for Employee Adoption Benefits”: This article discusses how to advocate for parental benefits (paid adoption leave, etc) within your workplace.
  • Adoption Tax Credit: This online course explains how adoptive families can benefit from the adoption tax credit
Apps
  • Cloud Baby Monitor: Turn your phone into a monitor with live video, noise, and motion alerts
  • Baby Feeding Log: Track feedings, diaper changes, and sleep with this app
  • Bubble Wrap: Entertain your toddler by letting them pop onscreen bubbles with this app
  • Redrover: Find kid-friendly entertainment near you
  • SitorSquat: Find the nearest bathroom, wherever you are
Professional Changes
  • What’s Next: Support for those searching to change careers, retire, start their own business, and more
  • Various Job Boards: Find and apply for jobs on websites like Indeed, CareerBuilder, and more.
  • Live Career: Build a resume and/or cover letter, become familiar with common interview questions, and perform a job search on this site
  • Jobcase: A job source for those searching for nontraditional and/or hourly work
  • Glassdoor: Check employee reviews of potential future employers (or write a review of your own organization)
  • “The 10-Step Plan to Career Change”: How to plan and execute your professional shift
  • Handbooks for the Long-Term Unemployed: Deloitte and the Rockefeller Center created these guides for employers, job-seekers, and community leaders to provide support to the unemployed
  • Get Five: This blog is filled with resources to help you on your employment search, with pieces on how to find a job when you’re relocating, looking for remote work, and more
  • “When To Turn Down A Job Offer”: The pressure is on to accept that new job—but could it be an unhealthy choice?
Apps
  • Reach: Network with professionals in your area
  • LinkUp: Find jobs that are still only listed on company websites

For Allies

Give the Best Support Possible
  • “How To Support A Loved One Through A Major Life Change”: Advice for aiding the person you love as they experience a transition
Health Changes
  • “18 Things You Can Do When A Person You Love Is Facing A Scary Diagnosis”: Steps you can take to be a great source of support and love
  • “7 Ways To Support A Friend Or Relative With Health Problems”: An overview of common forms of assistance, medical and emotional, that a loved one may need
  • “Terminal Illness: Supporting a Terminally Ill Loved One”: The Mayo Clinic offers tips on how to help your loved one cope with a terminal diagnosis
  • Self-Care For Caregivers: Arielle Mesa, LICSW, examines how those caring for their loved ones can maintain their own health and happiness
Home Changes
  • “How To Adjust When Your Child Is Moving Out For The First Time”: Figure out how to help both your child and yourself during this major transition
  • “Helping Your Friends Move with Brawns and Brains”: Make sure to have every item on this checklist to maximize your helping potential
Parenthood
  • “10 Ways to REALLY Help Someone With a New Baby”: Help the new parent get some sleep, spend time with older children, or just do what they want for a little while
  • “How to Help a New Mom”: 20 tips for helping a new mother or father get through their daily tasks. This article focuses on new moms, but this advice applies for new dads as well!
  • “10 Ways to Help a Pregnant Friend”: From driving your friend to doctor’s visits to hosting a “babyette” (a bachelor or bachelorette party for a soon-to-be-parent), here are ideas for supporting your friend before they give birth
  • “4 Tips for Becoming a Grandparent”: Make sure you and your family are on the same page as roles and expectations shift
Professional Changes
  • “How to Help a Friend Make a Career Change”: Support and encourage your friend during this stressful process
  • “How To Support A Friend Who Just Lost Their Job”: How to be a good friend to someone who’s faced professional rejection

You’re Not Alone

Connect with Others, Hear their Stories & Access Playlists
  • Talks to Remind You That Your Story Isn’t Over: These TED talks will inspire you to bounce back up after any setback
Health Changes
  • Healingwell: An online chronic illness community
  • The Invisible Illnesses: Stories from individuals living with “invisible” illnesses like anxiety, Auditory Processing Disorder, eating disorders, and more
  • Cancer Support Groups: Online, telephone, and in-person support groups for those dealing with cancer
  • “This is What it Feels Like to Live With Mental Illness”: A video from Buzzfeed about different people’s experiences with depression, anxiety disorders, and other conditions
  • “My Story of Being Diagnosed with Autism Late”: Model Melissa Koole shares her story of being diagnosed with Asperger’s at age 19
  • “Feeling Like Old News”: The writer of “Dear Melanoma” shares how it feels to still need support 3 years after her initial diagnosis
  • “My Hubby”: The husband of a cancer patient shares his experience as his wife’s number one supporter
  • “Real Women”: Women share their stories with heart disease
Home Changes
  • “Moving,” This American Life: This radio show looks at people who were forced to move by circumstances out of their control, and how they handled the transition
  • Expat Forum: An internet community of people who have moved or are hoping to move abroad
Parenthood
  • “5 Twin Birth Stories: Variations of Normal”: A collection of five different experiences with twins, including IVF, C-section, and more
  • “Parenting with PTSD: There Are Good Days and Bad Days”: One mother opens up on the added challenge of caring for her children while dealing with symptoms of trauma
  • “From Traumatic Cesarean to Postpartum Depression”: One mother shares her story
  • “8 Ways for New Parents to Get More Sleep”: Parents share how they maximized their sleeping potential
  • Choice Moms: Community and resources for those who choose to become single mothers
Professional Changes
  • “8 Inspiring Stories of How People Really Got the Job”: Hiring stories from LinkedIn job searchers, people over 40 looking to change their career, and even the founder and CEO of Nasty Gal
  • “6 Inspiring Stories From People Who Unexpectedly Lost Their Jobs”: From being fired to watching their company go bankrupt, these stories examine the hardships—and unexpected upsides—of losing your position
Tune In

Check out our Spotify playlist for Life Changes here!

  • “Changes,” David Bowie & QUEEN
  • “Fast Car,” Tracy Chapman
  • “Wildflowers,” Tom Petty
  • “It’s Time,” Imagine Dragons
  • “Waiting For My Real Life to Begin,” Colin Hay
  • “(Just Like) Starting Over,” John Lennon
  • “A Change Will Do You Good,” Sheryl Crow
  • “Where Do I Go?,” Hair
  • “Hometown Glory,” Adele
  • “Brand New Day,” Sting
  • “Change,” Taylor Swift
  • “Landslide,” Fleetwood Mac
  • “Unwritten,” Natasha Bedingfield
  • “Freefalling,” Tom Petty
  • “One Way Ticket,” Carrie Underwood
  • “Wide Open Spaces,” Dixie Chicks
  • “How Far I’ll Go,” Moana
  • “Try Everything,” Shakira
  • “Brave,” Sara Bareilles
  • “I Won’t Back Down,” Tom Petty

Master The Subject

Learn How it Works & The Science Behind It
Health Changes
  • Mayo Clinic: The Mayo Clinic’s website offers information about the causes, symptoms, and treatments of hundreds of physical and psychological conditions
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH): The USA’s official medical research agency
  • “Chronic Illness News”: The latest news regarding conditions like heart disease, lower back pain, Parkinson’s, and more from Science Daily
  • “Invisible Illness or Chronic Illness? What’s the Difference?”: Is your illness chronic or “invisible?” What does that mean?
  • Chronic Babe: An online blog and forum designed for women coping with chronic illnesses like HIV/AIDS, fibromyalgia, arthritis, and more
  • “Dealing with a Mental Illness Diagnosis”: Advice for adjusting to and accepting your mental health diagnosis
  • “American Heart Association Support Network”: Connect with others, hear survivor stories, and access resources related to heart health
  • “Newly Diagnosed: Diabetes”: Information on causes and treatment for diabetes, aimed towards those newly diagnosed.
Home Changes
  • The Art of Happy Moving: Ali Wenzke, who once moved 10 times in 11 years, created this blog and resource center to ease the moving process for others
  • “Top 10 Emotions When Moving House”: Common emotional experiences when transitioning to a new home
  • “Minimalist Moving: Decluttering For a Lighter Load and New Home”: Tips for determining what you’ll really need in your new home
  • “Moving Elderly Parents”: Advice on helping senior parents transition to a new home
  • “How to Move to a New City with No Money and No Prospects”: How to get by when your slate has been wiped totally clean
Parenthood
  • New Parent: Advice and resources for parents
  • Healthy Children: Learn more about parenting children of all ages from this website, sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics
  • The National Parenting Center: Dedicated to providing advice for parents from pregnancy to their child’s teen years
  • Parents: Safety tips, recipes, shared parenting stories, and more
  • “Maternity Monday: The Reality of Postpartum Depression”: This blog post defines postpartum depression and offers advice for supporting yourself and/or loved ones
  • “New Mom Guilt: Why You’re Not Failing as a Mother”: This blog post tackles the common fear that we’re failing as parents
  • “Top 10 Breastfeeding Tips”: Advice for those getting used to breastfeeding
  • “Music Therapy Can Comfort and Soothe Premature Infants and Parents”: A review of the therapeutic benefits of music
  • Postpartum Support: Education and resources for parents suffering from postpartum depression
  • Support for NICU Parents: Resources for both parents and professionals
Professional Changes
  • “How to Move Into a New Career Without Starting From the Bottom”: For those looking to change career paths without starting their professional paths all over
  • “Getting Fired: The Best Thing To Ever Happen To You”: Getting fired isn’t always as bad as we think—this blog explores reasons why this seeming rejection may be a needed change and/or an exciting opportunity
  • “Too Busy To Change Careers? Not With These Techniques”: How to apply for a new job even when other life requirements have you feeling stressed
  • “How to Handle Getting Fired”: Coping with being let go from your job
  • “6 Effective Ways to Deal With Criticism”: This webpage describes how to productively take in negative feedback
  • “Thriving During a Major Job (or Life) Transition, ft. Lea Sloan, M Ed, LPC, BPC”: Former career consultant Lea Sloan offers advice on how to successfully manage a life or career-related transition
  • “How to Survive and Thrive in an Unhealthy Work Environment”: Tips for getting by in a dysfunctional and/or difficult workplace
  • “Beating Workplace Burnout”: Advice for getting over natural periods of burnout

Advocate

Connect to the Larger Movement
Health Changes
  • MentalHealth.Gov: Created by the US Department of Health and Human Services to benefit those coping with mental health issues
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): The US’s largest grassroots mental health organization
  • Cancer Support Community: Dedicated to empowering all people impacted by cancer through knowledge, action, and community
  • “American Heart Association Support Network”: Connect with others, hear survivor stories, and access resources related to heart health
  • Kaleidoscope Fighting Lupus: Education, inspiring stories, organized events, and more for those living with lupus
  • The John A. Hartford Foundation: This foundation is dedicated to improving elder care across the US
  • Family Caregiving Alliance: A nonprofit designed to support caregivers
Home Changes
  • National Association of Senior Move Managers: This organization specializes in working with older family members during this major transition
Parenthood
  • National Parent Helpline: In addition to a phone helpline, this organization offers online resources designed to support the emotional health of parents across the nation
  • National Parent Teacher Association (PTA): Dedicated to engaging and empowering families to advocate for children’s education
  • The National Parenting Center: Dedicated to providing advice for parents from pregnancy to their child’s teen years
Professional Changes
  • Social Services: Government programs designed to help those struggling economically
  • Hiring Our Heroes: A nationwide initiative to find employment for US veterans

The human brain is both brilliant and resilient. Not only does it control the way we think, feel, and react to daily life, but it is also capable of undergoing major change. By working with the brain, we can change our experience to improve our personal, professional, and relational lives. Our goal is to empower you to do exactly that.

Link to The Viva Center

For more support in the Maryland, Virginia, or Washington DC area, click here for Viva.

The Resilient Brain Project (RBP) was developed in Fall 2017 by Viva Partnership LLC, with the goal of making mental health resources more accessible to the public.
Read more about RBP here→

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