Building Emotional Literacy

Why some kids thrive and others quietly fall behind. A new longitudinal study uncovered four parenting profiles and only one consistently supports both academic and emotional development. Here’s what they found: 1. Autonomy-supportive parents These parents set clear rules and allow for independent decision-making. They communicate expectations—but also validate emotions. This was the only group whose children showed gains in both well-being and achievement over time. 2. Controlling parents Think strict, directive, rule-bound—without much room for dialogue. These kids often performed well academically but had lower self-worth and motivation. 3. Cold parents Low on both structure and emotional warmth. This group’s kids showed the worst outcomes, both emotionally and academically. 4. Inconsistent parents Rules and emotional support were unpredictable. Not surprisingly, these children were more likely to experience anxiety and poor performance. The takeaway? Adolescents thrive when they’re given structure and space. Rules and respect. Guidance and autonomy. For any parent, educator, or leader this is the balance to aim for.

As a therapist, I often hear patients say things like, “I feel useless,” or “I’m such a horrible person.” My initial instinct has always been to respond with, “No, you’re not horrible,” or, “You’re just struggling right now.” These words come from a place of wanting to soothe, to ease their pain. And for a while, I believed that was the right thing to do. But over time, I’ve started questioning if it’s actually helpful—or if I’m unintentionally shutting down something important. When I reflect on those moments, I realize that my quick reassurance might feel invalidating. By immediately denying their feelings, am I missing an opportunity to understand? Why do they feel this way about themselves? Where do these beliefs come from? What does it mean to them to carry this kind of self-perception? I’ve also noticed how much of this instinct to comfort might come from my own discomfort. Sitting with someone who speaks so harshly about themselves is hard—it stirs up the urge to make it better, to ease the tension. But I’ve come to see that rushing to soothe isn’t always helpful. Sometimes, it’s my own way of avoiding the discomfort of the moment. Now, instead of responding with immediate reassurance, I try to lean into curiosity. I ask, “What makes you feel this way?” or, “Can you tell me more about what makes you believe that?” These questions create space for exploration, for understanding. They show the patient that their pain is worth sitting with, that their experience matters. It’s not easy—this shift often feels uncomfortable. But I’ve found that true growth happens in those moments of discomfort. By focusing on understanding rather than comforting, I hope to give my patients something deeper: a space where they feel heard, seen, and validated—not just reassured. How do you navigate the instinct to comfort versus the need to truly understand? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

It was interesting to see that doctors and nurses in Singapore scored lower mental health literacy scores than those from a first-year Australian cohort of psychology students, although this was higher than those of nurses from China. Stigma was also higher when compared to a Canadian study, and it was noted that older nurses seemed to have higher stigma scores, which aligns well with local stigma studies that suggest younger people have better mental health literacy and attitudes towards people with mental health challenges. Personally, I think there could be another reason for these results, and it could be due to not just the lack of nursing interventions (which the study highlighted), but also that nurses are constantly the ones who manage people with mental health issues at their lowest and most volatile moments. Consequently, these negative personal experiences override any buffer that literacy or positive personal experiences may have, especially if they were highly traumatic. Similar findings were also found for empathy scores, which were lower than those in America and Italy, but higher than those in China and Korea. The authors raised an interesting point about culture, and it could explain the potential disparity, especially when coupled with the Western medical training that is typical in Singapore, which suggests that people may not want to seek help or hesitate to share everything for personal issues, such as mental health challenges. Consequently, it could affect the expectations that doctors and nurses have regarding their patients' behaviour and the reality of providing care to people with mental health challenges, which results in these results. Given the emergency setting of the study, it was also highlighted that more specialist training regarding the effective management of people experiencing psychological distress is required. Perhaps this is an opportune moment to incorporate trauma-informed features into the process and assess their impact on making life easier for everyone involved. Alternatively, a study could be conducted to identify the elements that people using these services value most. #mentalhealth #psychology #psychiatry #wellness #mentalillness

“You don’t know what you don’t know.” I’ve lost count of how many patients I’ve met who want support, but simply don’t know where to find it. They don’t know what’s available, what it looks like, or how to access the community-based care that could make all the difference. As doctors, especially in psychiatry, we talk about the importance of community initiatives and I rave about social prescribing in primary care… but often we lack a centralised system of validated, trusted third-party resources to signpost patients to. Instead, it often relies on individual clinicians and their own knowledge of what’s out there. That’s why I believe in making every contact count. Recently, I saw a patient on-call during a mental health crisis. We spoke for over an hour, and when her nervous system began to regulate, she said something quietly: “I want to try something new.” We opened Chasing the Stigma’s incredible ‘Hub of Hope’ directory together (kudos Jake Mills) searched her postcode, and explored what was on her doorstep. She lit up. From female-only gym spaces like The Bridge – Health, Fitness & Wellbeing in Southwark to free talking therapy services…she hadn’t known any of it existed. Another patient, a young man wearing a football shirt in clinic, spoke about feeling disconnected and unmotivated. When the time was right, I told him about Minds United Football Club- a brilliant initiative using football as a tool to support mental health recovery and social connection for those living with challenges like psychosis or bipolar disorder. His face lit up too. Football wasn’t just a game for him… it was a potential bridge to community, purpose, and hope. We often think of medicine as diagnosis and treatment. But sometimes, it’s about walking with someone to the edge of their world, and showing them the gate they never knew was open. Healing doesn’t just happen in clinics and hospital. It happens in gyms, kitchens, gardens, on football pitches, in community halls, and in spaces that feel safe, inclusive, and empowering. Let’s make sure our patients know those spaces exist. #SocialPrescribing #MentalHealth #Psychiatry #HealingCommunities

SEL as a Hidden Curriculum: Are We Teaching or Contradicting It? Schools today increasingly recognize the importance of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). Many have dedicated SEL programs, lessons, and even assessment tools to measure skills like self-awareness, empathy, and responsible decision-making. But I wonder if SEL is just a subject or is it a hidden curriculum? A hidden curriculum is what students learn implicitly, through everyday school interactions, structures, and norms. SEL is most powerful when it is woven into the school’s culture - not just taught as a standalone subject. When SEL instruction contradicts the hidden curriculum, students internalize the latter more deeply. Consider this: - A lesson on growth mindset might encourage perseverance, but if the grading system only rewards correct answers rather than effort, the hidden curriculum tells students that mistakes are failures, not learning opportunities. - A school may promote collaboration, but if classroom structures prioritize competition (rankings, rewards for top scorers), the hidden curriculum reinforces individualism over teamwork. - We teach empathy, but if students see teachers dismissing their emotions or ignoring diverse perspectives, what do they really learn? SEL is modeled, not just taught. Its impact doesn’t come from a weekly lesson but from how teachers interact with students, how discipline is handled, how schools recognize effort and emotions, and how inclusive classroom discussions are. A school’s SEL curriculum is in: - How adults respond to mistakes and challenges. - Whose voices are heard and valued in discussions. - How students experience fairness, belonging, and respect in daily school life. Teaching SEL in isolation holds little value unless it is aligned with the school’s hidden curriculum. If what we say and what we do don’t match, students will always believe what they see. How do we ensure that our SEL efforts go beyond surface-level instruction and truly shape school culture? #education #SEL #hidden #curriculum #school #K12 #priyankeducator

As a kid, I was all about test scores and SATs. Socializing terrified me. I used to especially dread recess. I would do anything rather than go to the handball court. I volunteered to wash the chalkboard, asked to reorganize bookshelves, even made up ailments to go to the nurse (I believe once my thumb got a headache). This didn’t serve me well, and science backs this up. A 20-year study followed kindergartners and found: The kids rated as "more helpful and willing to share" ended up far more successful 20 years later: higher education, steady jobs, better lives. What did the research find about the kids who struggled with sharing? More substance abuse, legal trouble, unemployment issues down the line. So, if you have kids in your life, teach them these 5 social skills: 1. Social Assertiveness I overheard two kids on a playground: "I like your truck." "I like you too!" "I like you!" "I like you!" That's social assertiveness: stating your preferences and needs. Most kids withhold their liking from fear of rejection. Teach them: "Can I play with you?" It's one of the best phrases for kids to learn. 2. Social Planning Ask your kids before school: "What kids do you like? What kids make you nervous? When they state their preferences, ask them: “What do you want to do about it?” and they’ll naturally plan scenarios: "Maybe I should ask them to sit with me at lunch." 3. Seek First to Understand (Emotional Intelligence) Kids who can read emotions have better friendships and fewer conflicts. Help your kids recognize other kids' emotions by asking: • "How do you think he/she feels?" • "What do you think he/she thinks?" When kids can spot that someone is sad, frustrated, or excited, they can respond better, offering comfort, giving space, or joining the fun. Also teach them the 7 basic facial expressions (anger, happiness, sadness, fear, surprise, disgust, contempt). I wish I'd learned to read faces earlier. It would have helped me understand my teachers, parents, and friends better. 4. Synergize (Be Authentic About Feelings) I used to hide my awkwardness. When I started sharing it, people were kinder and understood me better. Teach kids that they can say: "I'm feeling nervous, I don't know anyone" or "I feel a little awkward." Vulnerability with the right people builds authentic connections. 5. Work Together (Collaboration) Once a month, encourage your kid to develop a "quest" with another child: a lemonade stand, car washing business, treehouse, or fort. They'll learn negotiation, planning, follow-through, and collaboration - skills they'll need for work and college. ____ BTW this is me circa 1990:

Your tampon was designed by a man. In 1931. Yesterday, Deep Blue invested in the company that finally changed that. Here’s why it matters far beyond the product. 👇 Greta Meyer and Amanda Calabrese are Stanford engineers and athletes. Meyer played lacrosse in an all-white uniform. Calabrese competed for the U.S. in lifesaving for nine years in a red, white and blue bathing suit. The fear of bleeding through their uniforms was a constant distraction while competing. So they built what didn’t exist. The Sequel Spiral Tampon redesigns the internal channel structure to promote even absorption and prevent leaks. FDA-cleared as a Class 2 medical device. The first meaningful product redesign in nearly a century. The research gap behind the product gap. “We literally know less about every aspect of female biology compared to male biology.” — Dr. Janine Austin Clayton, Associate Director for Research on Women’s Health, NIH Women account for just 3–6% of sports-performance research participants despite comprising roughly half the sporting population. Female-dominant conditions are consistently underfunded relative to their disease burden compared to conditions that disproportionately affect men — per a Nature analysis of NIH data. The infrastructure was built around male biology. Women and girls pay for it with their health, their performance, and their participation. The number that changes the conversation: adolescent girls drop out of sport at 2x the rate of boys. A 2025 peer-reviewed study found nearly 1 in 5 girls aged 10–16 considered dropping out of sport entirely because of their period. 91.5% worried about bleeding through their uniform during competition. 87% of adult athletes say their menstrual cycle impacts their performance. Only 35% have ever discussed it with their coach. We cannot build a sustainable women’s sports ecosystem if girls are exiting the pipeline before they ever reach it. This is why Deep Blue invested upstream. Our work is about closing structural gaps that prevent women’s sports from reaching its full potential. Usually that’s brand strategy, media, and partnerships. Sometimes it means going further back in the system. The gap between the athlete who stays in sport and the one who walks away at 14 is not talent. It’s not desire. It’s a product that failed her. A research system that never studied her. The WEF and McKinsey estimate closing the gender health gap unlocks $1 trillion in global economic value by 2040. That starts with keeping girls in sport long enough to become the athletes, fans, and leaders who build this industry for the next generation. Sequel is closing a gap that has been open for 95 years. We’re proud to be part of that. To Greta, Amanda, and the Sequel team — you’re not just redesigning a product. You’re removing a barrier that has quietly been costing women and girls their place in sport for nearly a century. Interested in learning more? www.trysequel.com

“First Help Me Feel Safe, Then Teach Me” Too often, we ask children with Autism, ADHD, or Cerebral Palsy to sit still, focus, and learn — without realizing their nervous systems may be stuck in survival mode. As a reflex integration consultant, I’ve seen how unintegrated primitive reflexes, sensory overwhelm, and chronic dysregulation create invisible barriers to learning. 🧠 In this article, I explore: ✨Why regulation is a neurobiological prerequisite for learning ✨How children stuck in fight-or-flight can't engage cognitively ✨The role of reflex integration in helping children feel safe ✨Practical movement-based strategies that calm the nervous system ✨What educators and therapists can do differently If you're working with neurodivergent children, I invite you to shift the paradigm with me. Let’s put regulation before education — and see what changes.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐚 𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫’𝐬 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥. A new study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (JOEM) (January 2026) takes a hard look at mental health service needs, utilization, and barriers among health system faculty and staff and the findings should prompt every health system leader to act. Researchers surveyed 2,421 faculty and staff at a large New York City health care system. Nearly two-thirds reported a perceived need for mental health services over the past year. Yet among those who recognized that need but did not seek care, the most cited barrier was simply not having time to look for a provider, reported by over 60% of respondents. Privacy concerns were the second most common barrier, with faculty significantly more likely than staff to flag this issue (33.9% vs. 10.4%). In a profession built on helping others, the fear of being seen seeking help remains a powerful deterrent. The study also uncovered meaningful disparities. Individuals identifying as Asian, Black, or Hispanic were less likely than White colleagues to perceive a need for mental health services, a pattern the authors attribute to differences in how mental health symptoms are recognized across racial and ethnic groups, as well as historical mistrust of mental health systems. Women reported higher odds of both perceiving a need and utilizing services, likely shaped by emotional labor demands inherent in caregiving roles. Workplace factors mattered, too. Staff who reported experiences with verbal abuse or worked in environments that did not prioritize racial equity and diversity had greater odds of perceiving unmet mental health needs. So what needs to change? The authors call on health care leaders and hospital administrators to: widely promote available mental health services, extend access to non-traditional hours, educate faculty and staff about their rights to confidentiality, and provide culturally sensitive care that reflects the diverse experiences of the workforce. Mental health support for health care workers is not a perk; it is a necessity. This research makes the case that systems must do more to meet their people where they are. Accessing mental health is challenging for everyone. There aren’t enough psychologists and psychiatrists, and many don’t take the insurance card you have in your wallet. Johns Hopkins Medicine offers quick access to mental health services for our faculty and clinicians. It’s a unique benefit that I realize most organizations can’t offer. However, be creative and find other solutions. The wave of mental health problems isn’t going away anytime soon. #healthcare #mentalhealth #EmployeeBenefits

When Lena Nasiakou 🎈 Embodied Learning slid into my DMs here on LinkedIn – exactly and unknowingly on my birthday – saying "I'd love to send you a paperback copy of my new book," I didn't hesitate for a second: it was through Lena herself that I first learned about the concept of #EmbodiedLearning when we worked together at Netflix, and it changed how I think about #LearningDesign ever since. The book isn't one of those "5 steps to transform your #training" manuals. It's more like being invited into someone's personal learning lab. Lena writes with uncommon vulnerability: she shares what's worked for her, what's failed, and what she's still figuring out. In a time when professional development books often sound like they're written from a mountaintop, this one feels refreshingly human. Another thing I truly appreciated: how she bridges theory and practice. Each chapter gently weaves "Here's something you can try in your workshop" with "Here's why it works, grounded in social science." She connects thinkers from the 19th century to recent studies – and somehow it all feels cohesive and current. It reminded me how powerful it can be to bring learning back to the body: we too often treat learning as something that happens from the neck up. But embodiment reminds us that our nervous systems, emotions, and senses are all part of how we absorb, retain, and act on knowledge. And here's where this idea meets #diversity and #inclusion work... So much of DEI learning – unconscious bias workshops, inclusive leadership programmes, allyship training – asks people to *feel* something new, not just *know* something new. Yet we often design them as if awareness were purely intellectual. 🧠 Embodied approaches invite us to: 1️⃣ Notice where discomfort or defensiveness shows up in the body – and stay curious about it, instead of shutting down; 2️⃣ Use movement, breath, or grounding as tools to regulate emotions in tense discussions; 3️⃣ Practice empathy not only by "imagining" another's perspective, but by somatically recognising what it feels like to be excluded or unseen; 4️⃣ Close sessions with small reflective rituals – a shared breath, a moment of silence, a gesture of appreciation – to help the learning land beyond words. It's made me realise that embodiment is not just about how we learn, but also how we relate – to ourselves, to each other, to systems of power and belonging. So thank you, Lena, for putting this out into the world – and for the serendipitous birthday gift. 🎁 💬 I’m curious: have you ever tried bringing the body more intentionally into your learning spaces – specially in DEI work? How did it (not) work?