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When You’ve Been Carrying Too Much

I know how easy it is to let the stress pile up. One deadline leads to another, and before you know it, joy starts to feel like something you’ll get to eventually, if there’s time.

But those small, good moments you barely notice? They matter more than you think.

Emily didn’t believe that at first either. She started with a sticky note on her monitor that read: Take five minutes to savour something good today. It felt silly. But it changed everything.

If you’ve been pushing through, running on empty, this is your gentle reminder that positive emotions aren’t frivolous. They’re a quiet form of fuel. With a few creative habits, they become easier to find, even on hard days.

If this idea speaks to you, I share gentle reminders like this each week in The Creative Shift , a newsletter with practical tools and creative exercises to help you reconnect with what feels good. You can sign up here.

Why Positive Emotions Matter More Than You Realize

Emotions like joy, gratitude, calm, or amusement aren’t just momentary boosts. They do important work behind the scenes to help you think clearly, relate to others, and handle stress in healthier ways.

Psychologist Barbara Fredrickson calls this the broaden-and-build effect. When you feel good, your brain opens up. You think more creatively. You notice more options. Over time, you build emotional resources that help you handle the tough stuff with more ease.

Here’s what research tells us about the ripple effect of positive emotions:

• You think more clearly and solve problems more effectively
• You recover from stress faster
• You connect more deeply with others
• You sleep better, feel stronger, and support your immune system

These emotions may be small, but their impact is anything but.

Emily’s Five-Minute Shift

Emily didn’t overhaul her routine. She gave herself just five minutes at the end of her workday to notice something good.

At first, it was small. A kind word from a colleague. The colour of the sky on her walk home. The way her favourite tea felt in her hands.

It didn’t make the stress vanish, but it reminded her there was more to the day than her to-do list. Those five minutes became a habit, then a thread of light she could follow.

Positive emotions don’t erase what’s difficult. But they do help you hold it with a little more strength.

Why Positivity Supports Creative Thinking

You’ve probably felt this yourself. When your mood lifts, your mind opens. You’re more curious. You approach problems with fresh ideas.

There’s science behind that. In one study, even something as small as receiving a piece of candy helped medical students diagnose patients more effectively.

For women in STEM*, where creative thinking and innovation are essential, positive emotions aren’t just a nice-to-have. They’re part of how we stay engaged, sharp, and resilient.

*Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math

Creative Practice: Emotion Journal

This is a quiet, reflective activity that takes just a few minutes a day.

What you’ll need:

• A notebook or journal
• Pens, markers, or coloured pencils if you enjoy adding visuals

How to do it:

1. At the end of each day, jot down one good thing that happened
2. Add a small doodle, a sketch, or a splash of colour that captures how it felt
3. Write a sentence or two about why it stood out to you
4. At the end of the week, flip back through your entries and notice what emotions come up most often

Reflection Prompt: Which emotions do you see repeating? How do they shape the way you show up at work or in your personal life?

You might find you’re already carrying more positive energy than you realized.

Creative Practice: Gratitude Collage

This one’s especially helpful when you need a visual reminder of what’s steady and supportive in your life.

What you’ll need:

• Magazines, printed photos, or images that resonate with you
• A sheet of paper, cardstock, or a page in your sketchbook
• Glue, scissors, markers, and music if you’d like some background calm

How to do it:

1. Choose images that represent things or people you’re grateful for
2. Arrange them however feels right. There’s no wrong way to do this
3. Add short captions or notes about why each one matters to you
4. Keep it somewhere visible: your desk, your fridge, or your nightstand

Reflection Prompt: How do you feel when you look at this collection of what’s grounding and good in your life?

Even a quick glance during a stressful day can help you return to what matters.

If you’re looking for more gentle ways to reconnect with what’s good, the free 5-Day Creative Reset Challenge offers simple creative practices that help you pause, reflect, and reset. You can join here at no cost.

A Gentle Reminder: It’s Okay to Feel Good

In high-pressure environments like STEM, it can feel safer to focus on what’s urgent, what’s not working, or what still needs fixing. But feeling good isn’t a distraction.

It’s a form of care. For your mind. For your nervous system. For your ability to keep going without burning out.

Joy is a Resource

Positive emotions don’t ask you to ignore what’s hard. They offer energy, creativity, and clarity so you can meet challenges with more presence and grace.

You don’t need a huge shift to access them. Just small, intentional moments of noticing. A journal entry. A collage. A quiet pause with your morning coffee.

These are the tools that help you build emotional strength one choice at a time.

A Simple First Step

If you’re ready to bring a little more ease and brightness into your days, I’d love to support you.

Sign up for my newsletter, The Creative Shift. You’ll receive weekly ideas, creative prompts, and mindfulness tips designed to help you stay grounded, present, and well, even when life feels heavy.

Your joy deserves space. Let’s make room for it together.

CREATIVE SHIFT