The “Three Ms of Sanity”: Veronica West’s Refreshingly Real Approach to Mental Health in Education
In today’s fast-paced educational environments—where both students and teachers are juggling emotional demands, deadlines, and distractions—mental wellness is no longer optional. Veronica West, licensed psychologist and founder of My Thriving Mind, is championing a refreshingly grounded approach to emotional resilience in classrooms.
Her strategy? The “Three Ms of Sanity”: Mindfulness, Movement, and Margins-for-Error.
“Teachers and students are actually walking a flaming-sword act tightrope over volcanic lava rivers,” she quips. “Mindfulness is the net.” Even a brief breath check-in—before a test or after marking dozens of essays—can dramatically shift stress levels.
Veronica encourages journaling as a core component of emotional regulation. But it’s not about perfection. “I tell clients to put their journaling into judgment-free zones. Grammar doesn’t count. You spell ‘stress’ with five S’s and a lunatic emoji if you need to.” It’s about releasing pressure, not polishing prose.
And don’t underestimate movement—of any kind. “Don’t ever short-change the hallway stride, the bathroom break shimmé, or the interpretive dance about your to-do list,” says Veronica. “Movement’s not exercise—it’s anxiety exorcism.”
To build emotional resilience, she offers these bite-sized, practical tools:
- Victory Log (for teachers): One sentence a day about what didn’t go wrong.
- Mental Browser Tabs (for students): Start journaling with, “If my brain were a browser, here are today’s 27 open tabs…”
These tools help reconnect us to our humanity in a “caffeine-and-calendar-invite-driven life.” Veronica’s mix of levity, clarity, and psychological insight makes mental health accessible—not just a buzzword, but a lived, breathable practice.
Have you found simple, honest strategies that support mental wellness in educational or high-stress environments? We’d love to hear how you’re staying grounded. Let’s continue the conversation around what it really means to thrive.
🔗 Learn more about Veronica’s work on LinkedIn.
