Mental Health Monday Resources
Gratitude Calendar
Gratitude helps us slow down and notice what is good. At The Aspen Effect, we see how small acts of kindness and thankfulness can bring calm and connection to youth, families, and mentors.
To make gratitude easy to practice, we created a free Gratitude Calendar for November. Each day has a simple idea like “compliment a friend,” “thank a teacher,” or “spend time outside.” These small actions help build a habit of noticing and sharing the good that is already around us.
You can use the calendar at home, in school, or with a mentor group. Try doing one prompt each day or pick a few that feel right for you. The goal is not to be perfect but to practice paying attention to the things that make life better.
When we focus on gratitude, we see more reasons to hope. We feel more grounded, connected, and ready to care for others.
Download your free Gratitude Calendar from The Aspen Effect and join us in filling the month with simple moments of thanks.
5 Daily Habits
The way we care for ourselves each day adds up; one choice, one breath, one small action at a time.
These five daily practices can help you feel more grounded, calm, and connected to yourself and the world around you. Whether it’s spending a few quiet minutes outdoors, writing down something you’re grateful for, or reaching out to a friend, simple moments of care can shift how you move through the day.
Choose one practice to focus on this week. Start small, stay consistent, and notice how it changes your mood and energy. Sometimes the smallest steps lead to the biggest change.
Change Your Words, Change Your World
Sometimes the toughest conversations are the ones we have with… ourselves. The words we use in our own heads can either weigh us down or lift us up. We remind our youth (and honestly, all of us adults too) that shifting your self-talk even slightly can change how you feel about your day. It’s not about pretending everything is perfect. It’s about choosing words that help you breathe, heal, and rise.
“I have to…” → “I get to…”
“I made a mistake.” → “I learned something.”
“I can’t do it.” → “I’ll try another way.”
Small language shifts create big mindset shifts. Let’s practice talking to ourselves like someone we care about.
The Learning Space
Have you heard of The Learning Space? Dr. Becky at Good Inside teaches that the learning space is the hard space between “not knowing” and “knowing.” Most of us don't like this space because it brings frustration, self-doubt, and the feeling that we are not getting it right.
But this space is where resilience grows. Strength does not come from learning fast. It comes from staying with the challenge long enough to figure things out.
At The Aspen Effect, we see this every week. A young person might learn a new skill and try something that feels uncomfortable at first. They feel unsure, then frustrated, and then slowly they settle in. With support, they stay in their own Learning Space long enough to discover confidence, courage, and connection.
When we give kids safe places to practice patience and try again, we help them build resilience that lasts.
Today, notice where your Learning Space is. Take a breath, stay with it, and remember that growth often happens in the messy middle.
Box Breathing
Box breathing is one of the tools we use to help youth feel more grounded and steady. We teach this skill in our camps and mentoring programs so participants have a simple way to calm their minds when life feels busy or heavy. Place your finger on the “Start Here” dot and follow the arrows. Breathe in for four counts and breathe out for four counts as you move around the box. This easy practice helps reset the body and build confidence over time.
Over time, box breathing can help slow a racing heart, relax tight muscles, and quiet busy thoughts. When your breath becomes steady, your body gets the message that it is safe to slow down. This can make it easier to focus, respond with patience, and feel more in control, even during stressful moments.
10-10-10 Grounding
The holidays can be loud, full, and stressful. When everything feels rushed or heavy, a simple grounding pause can help your body and mind slow down. This is one of the tools we teach at our child parent resilience camp so participants can calm their bodies and reconnect, even during hard or busy moments.
𝐓𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞, it takes less than a minute, but it can help you feel more grounded, steady, and present during this busy season.
𝟏𝟎 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬. Sit or stand quietly. Notice your body and the space around you. Stay calm and peaceful, like you are helping an animal feel safe.
𝟏𝟎 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠. Look and listen. What do you see or hear right now. Notice small details, the way animals do when they move slowly and carefully.
𝟏𝟎 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Think of a person, place, or animal that helps you feel calm and happy. Picture them in your heart or mind.