I am about to tell you something you probably already know: Exercise is good for your mental health. You have likely heard it before, and you might even believe it to be true. Whether you have been an avid exerciser for years, currently exercise, or have exercised in the past, your body rewarded you with the hormones that improve your sense of well-being and mood.

Last year, I was navigating a career transition as I was about to become the first director of sport psychology and student-athlete mental health at Iowa while also maintaining my clinical professor role within the Department of Psychiatry. At the same time, I was also preparing for my oldest daughter’s high school graduation and taking in all of her “lasts” as a senior while being flooded with emotions while vividly recalling many of her “firsts.”

I think about my impact on others. I also remember the people who have had an impact on my life by allowing me to make mistakes and grow with dignity. The professor who let me assert myself as a 20-year-old, colleagues who have tolerated my growing pains, parents who let thoughtless words pass. With the benefit of time and experience, their kindness is revealed to me, and I feel their grace in my life.

After the birth of my third child, I found myself bursting into tears for no reason and I had no energy. I was diagnosed with postpartum depression and responded well to medication. When I told one of my fellow family practice physicians how much better I was feeling, he quickly hushed me and told me I shouldn’t let people know I had been treated for depression. I was stunned. As physicians, we know depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and is treatable with medication.

The pace of work sometimes demands we function at 110%, juggling multiple high-stakes projects and priorities, all with unflappable composure

In 2022, my husband and I became first-time parents. While we were overwhelmed with joy and excitement when welcoming our son into the world, we learned quickly that we were not immune to the juggling act of being full-time working parents.

Successful people find areas of interest, develop those interests into a passion, and keep going despite inevitable setbacks.

Empathy has no script. There is no right or wrong way to do it. It's simply listening, holding safe space, withholding judgment, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of “you are not alone.”

I grew up visiting Iowa’s field campus, the Macbride Nature Recreation Area (MNRA), home to my earliest memories of exploring outdoors. It is the place with the “little house” in the forest, in which my sister and I would peer out the window at the bird feeders, counting the songbirds and making up names for each one we saw.

As a college dean who began my position on March 1, 2020, and then closed all in-person activities 13 days later, I’m often asked to comment on the topic of resiliency. Resiliency is the ability to recover from traumatic or cumulative stresses. Early research on resilience emphasized the role of genetics – as in “some people are just born resilient.” However, more recent research shows that some people become more resilient over their lifetimes – suggesting that there are things we can all do to bounce back more quickly and effectively.