How to Navigate Difficult Moments in Your Writing

By Angelica Ribeiro, PhD

The other day, a friend shared she was frustrated with her dissertation progress, feeling stuck in her writing. I responded with empathy, saying, “I completely understand how you feel. What do you think you need to get unstuck?” I could relate to her emotions because I had experienced the same situation while working on my dissertation. However, I realized that I wasn’t as supportive of myself as I was of her. Instead of acknowledging my negative emotions, I forced myself to keep working. Looking back, I wish I had treated myself with the same compassion I offered my friend. Here’s how.

How to Navigate Difficult Moments in Your Writing Read More

Three Simple Science-Based Strategies to Create Happiness at Work

By Angelica Ribeiro, PhD

Imagine this: You get a new job, which makes you very happy. But soon you realize that the job involves the following aspects, to mention a few:

  • too much sitting, too little movement
  • too much computer work, too few social interactions
  • too many demands, too few flow experiences

After experiencing all those issues on a daily basis, you notice that they negatively impact your well-being and happiness level. What do you do then?

Three Simple Science-Based Strategies to Create Happiness at Work Read More

How Your Professional Purpose and Identity Can Impact Your Work Life

By Angelica Ribeiro, Ph.D.

Being aware of our professional purpose can play an important role in leading us to a happier life at work. That’s because our purpose can reveal elements of our identity that encourage us to live up to our values and create meaningful habits. Let me explain.

My professional purpose is to contribute to (a) language learners’ education by teaching, researching, and sharing knowledge with educators and (b) other people’s happiness by writing books and sharing positivity. After identifying my professional purpose, I realized that it revealed three main elements of my identity: a professor, a researcher, and a writer.

How Your Professional Purpose and Identity Can Impact Your Work Life Read More

How Social Connections Can Positively Impact Writers

By Angelica Ribeiro, Ph.D.

As a writer, you have likely experienced negative emotions at some point. Whether it is receiving a rejection letter for your manuscript, facing criticism for your ideas, or getting stuck in your writing, it is normal to feel this way. The key is to learn how to cope with these emotions rather than trying to eliminate them.

Social connections can be a great tool for managing negative emotions like stress, frustration, and disappointment. Robert Waldinger, the leading author of The Good Life, explains how warm social connections can regulate your negative emotions:

How Social Connections Can Positively Impact Writers Read More

How the TAA Conference Creates Happiness in Your Professional Life

By Angelica Ribeiro, PhD

In her book The How of Happiness, Sonja Lyubomirsky points out that about 40 percent of our happiness comes from intentional activities. She writes, “Our intentional, effortful activities have a powerful effect on how happy we are, over and above the effects of our set points and the circumstances in which we find ourselves” (Lyubomirsky, 2008, p. 64). That means we can create happiness by being mindful of our actions. Regarding our professional lives, one action we can take is to attend conferences related to our fields, such as the TAA conference.

After attending the TAA conference in Nashville, I realized that it goes beyond simply providing a platform for people to share knowledge. It encourages attendees to engage in what Lyubomirsky (2008) calls “happiness activities.”

How the TAA Conference Creates Happiness in Your Professional Life Read More