S3 Ep27. From Bartending to the Classroom: Wellbeing, Work and Small Acts of Kindness with Tara Salinas

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of ABWilson's Heart of the Matter, host Aderonke Bademosi Wilson speaks with Tara Salinas, an educator, mother,and fervent supporter who brings warmth, humor and practical wisdom to conversations about wellbeing, work and relationships. Tara shares how becoming a mother later in life reshaped her priorities and taught her to be more purposeful in her attention, and she reflects on the surprising joys and challenges of parenting a kind and curious 10 year old. She describes her journey to teaching, from an unexpected first class that sparked a love of mentoring to intentionally choosing a small university environment so she can know students by name and support them beyond course content. Tara explains her identity as a fervent supporter, the value she places on deep friendships and how small acts of recognition and kindness can create meaningful differences in other people's lives. She discusses practical strategies for resilience including movement classes that require no thinking, short naps, solo writing retreats for brain dumps and trying tapping and breath work to reset during stressful times. Tara and her colleague’s Psychology Today blog, The Problem With, translates social science research into accessible guidance, and she celebrates the satisfaction of reaching readers beyond academic journals. Looking ahead Tara will launch a new undergraduate course called Wellbeing Work and You that brings together research on happiness, resilience, relationships and workplace practices to give students practical toolkits for living well in their careers. The conversation closes with Tara’s invitation to treat people like people, to lean into causes and relationships that matter and to remember that even small gestures of recognition can ripple outward in powerful ways.https://www.abwilsonconsulting.comhttps://abwilsonphotography.com