IT Subject Guide: Well-being & Self Care

Even the most optimistic of us can get weighed down when seemingly unrelenting negativity swirls around us at work and in life. It impacts our perspective, presence, and performance. Self-leadership expert Scott Mautz teaches a specific plan for fostering sustainable positivity, especially in the face of tiresome negativity. You’ll be able to stay positive over the long haul by applying fundamentals of positivity—like staying grounded and practicing a special type of gratitude—and by drawing optimism from increased mental strength. Learn to build specialized positivity skills—such as handling criticism and difficult people—and build daily habits of positivity too. Plus, hear real-world examples and craft a personal MAP (micro action plan) for being realistic but staying upbeat when it feels like the world is conspiring to keep you down.

Train your brain for happiness! In this course, happiness professor Jay Kumar, PhD shares insights, exercises, and techniques from cutting-edge research in brain science and behavior. The series investigates the concept of happiness and introduces scientific ways of increasing happiness in your life. You can learn how to unlock the brain’s ability to build social connections and trust among teams, coworkers, customers, and other stakeholders; identify opportunities for creating deeper, more meaningful relationships; and leverage four fundamental strategies to help you promote happiness in the workplace and impact the bottom line. Plus, learn how to build enthusiasm about your company, products, and services and create passionate members of your brand or company tribe. Anyone interested in using happiness to reach their full potential in work and life—including business leaders, HR managers, and marketers—should take this course to increase their happiness quotient.

What if you could profoundly change your life by becoming more mindful? What if paying attention on purpose could improve your health? In Mindfulness for Beginners, Jon Kabat-Zinn—the scientist, bestselling author, and teacher who brought mindfulness meditation into the mainstream—gives you immediate access to a practice that can potentially add years to your life and enhance the quality of every day. Explore five guided meditations based on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), a program offered in medical clinics and hospitals around the world. Cultivate the seven key attitudinal factors of MBSR—qualities of heart and mind that lay the foundation for mindfulness. Use these lessons to free yourself from limiting perspectives and become more intimate with your own boundless awareness.

Stress, anxiety, burnout, overwhelm, and disengagement are all connected to the function of your nervous system. Learning how to work at the level of your nervous system can help you bring your best self to the challenges you face on a daily basis. In this course, somatic expert and coach Jay Fields teaches simple practices for regulating the autonomic nervous system, which unconsciously controls your mind and body's response to stress. While this course won’t magically make the world a less stressful place, if you apply the lessons Jay imparts, you'll have a nervous system that is wired to help you meet challenges with more calmness and clarity.

Understanding what you do best is essential to succeeding professionally. But often we are unclear on our own strengths. Join leadership expert Dave Crenshaw on a journey of self-discovery, as he walks you through a simple framework to identify your strengths. Discover your natural gifts, your passions, your skills, and your greatest abilities. Dave shares specific exercises to help you pinpoint what you should focus on doing (and what you should avoid) to develop your strengths and increase your value as an employee. The exercises can also help you clarify if your current job is a fit and what you can do to address a mismatch.