We are not robots: How stress is core to being human and ways we can work with it during tough times (Burnout Busters | The Podcast)

Ever feel overwhelmed by messaging about self-care, or plagued by toxic positivity? What constitutes self-care, and at what point can it become unhelpful? This week, the Burnout Busters explain the meaning of stress, argue the case for a strong focus on professional well-being, and dismantle common misconceptions about well-being with Aria Fiat, PhD, one of the developers of the Adult Resilience Curriculum (ARC) and a school and pediatric psychologist, speaker, and educator based at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Fiat shares simple stress-busting tactics — gratitude journaling and listening to your inner child — that she uses to redirect her thoughts during difficult times, such as the not-so-new normal (or not-normal) resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aria Fiat Headshot Burnout Busters Dr. Aria Fiat is a pediatric and school psychologist devoted to promoting equitable, accessible, and culturally responsive mental health care. She is currently completing a post-doctoral fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where she will soon begin her tenure as an assistant professor of pediatrics. Dr. Fiat completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Munroe Meyer Institute, providing psychological services through Omaha Children's, University of Nebraska Medical Center, and Omaha Public Schools. Dr. Fiat’s work as a clinician, researcher, educator, speaker, and advocate focuses on enhancing the capacity of systems to promote behavioral health and wellness, with an emphasis on supporting the educators and caregivers who help children thrive. She has co-authored over a dozen peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings and delivered multiple keynote addresses on related topics. Dr. Fiat is the creator of The Seven C’s: A Toolkit for Caregivers Coping in a Crisis. She is also a co-developer and researcher of the Adult Resilience Curriculum (ARC). In collaboration with the Mid-America MHTTC, Dr. Fiat is striving to increase availability of the ARC to school districts throughout Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri.