In her past struggles with mental health, Teresa had prided herself on being able to push through and excel. After being sent home during the pandemic, however, she realizes that she can no longer pretend to be okay and keep up her usual pace. As she forces herself to slow down and focus on recovery, she begins to find more moments of joy and connection in her life.

Teresa: Reckoning with Burnout

After a particular incident where anxious thoughts keep her awake late into the night, Siyoung realizes that her mental health is deteriorating. Talking to a friend motivates Siyoung to seek support from mental health services. Mental health counseling helps her gain more clarity and control over her situation and though her mental health did not improve instantly, Siyoung stays hopeful through the cycles of good and challenging days.

Siyoung: Dealing with Anxiety

After transitioning to working remotely during the pandemic, Vyshnavi struggled to focus on her research given the distracting environment around her and her expectations for how much she should be getting done. Finding herself demotivated as day after day she fails to complete the more important tasks on her list, she decides to start by tackling a few simple tasks she knows she can complete to remind herself that progress is possible. Vyshnavi realizes that working from home will require her to adjust her expectations. Though she recognizes that she may not be as productive as she hoped given the circumstances, she can still tackle her tasks one by one and make progress towards her goals.

Vyshnavi: Making Progress

As a non-native English speaker, MIT graduate student Magdalena struggled to find her voice in academic and professional settings in English-speaking environments. Consumed by anxiety when forced to speak English, she found herself withdrawing from others and failing to ask questions of her professors. Over time, however, she challenged herself to view her English skills as an area of growth rather than a source of embarrassment.

Flipping Failure

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