In April 2020, Dr. Janeane Bernstein received numerous inquiries, especially from students, asking to meet with her. People of all ages and backgrounds shared how their lives had been upended by the global pandemic. Jobs were no longer a reality, internships were cancelled, and life felt hopeless. Millions of students moved back home and had no idea what their futures looked like, and what they should do next.
After speaking to students and adults about life during a pandemic, avenues to explore, and how to stay resilient, Dr. Bernstein launched Outside the Box - a mental health podcast to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and promote much needed societal change. She created a safe and open space to welcome conversations around trauma, grief, depression, anxiety, among many other challenges we all experienced.
Outside the Box is now a podcast and event series creating mental health initiatives for all ages. Virtual and in-person events focus on mental health, self-care, relevant societal issues, and strategies to promote sustainable, transformative change.
OTB is a growing resource that is welcoming to all.
We focus on ending the stigma surrounding mental health by supporting open conversations on the struggles that many young students & adults experience today.
One thing is very clear. If we do not address what we went through the past several years, there will be long-term effects.Mental health must be a priority in schools, businesses, policiies and every aspect of our society.
From 2020 to 2022, Dr. Bernstein began interviewing students teachers, mental health professionals and mental health advocates aboout what their life had been like in the pandemic. She knew this would become the foundation for her next book. With a background in qualitative research, numerous themes came up as people talked about the mental health pandemic.
Even though we are back in person, you might be feeling depressed, socially anxious, exhausted, riddled with anxiety, PTSD and other mental health struggles. You are not alone. Nothing is more important than your mental health. COVID-19 exacerbated a pre-existing mental health crisis and we have yet to know the long-term implications of what people of all ages and backgrounds have been through and still struggle with.
How do you prioritize work-life balance and avoid burnout? Janeane has created an engaging
90-minute workshop filled with key knowledge, life skills, and plenty of interaction that will resonate with any audience.
Watch the preview here.
An engaging evening about how to be better to yourself and to one another, especially in our post pandemic climate. Activities included a panel discussion, exploring better communication and listening in our interpersonal relationships and how to connect and boost kindness, compassion and empathy. Attendees also enjoyed a chocolate meditation and Janeane's flower activity as a way to connect with new faces.
We all have a Super Power. You just might not know it yet. You don't have to wear a mask and a cape to prove it! Your Super Power might be kindness, empathy or being a great listener. Janeane helps people of all ages discover their unique talents and figure out how they will share their gifts with the world. Our Super Powers can create changes within ourselves and impact others in incredible ways.
Dr. Janeane Bernstein was selected to present her workshop, The Power of Creativity for Mental Health, at the MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA OF THE MIDSOUTH Annual Ethics Conference
Workplace Wellness: Leadership's Role in Fostering Change
Dr. Janeane Bernstein was invited to speak at the second EdCamp Ukraine Resiliency Series about "The Power of Purpose-Driven Initiatives for Mental Health & Resilience"
Note: she begins at the 28 minute mark.
Prioritizing YOU is the Greatest Act of Self-Care - How to instill happiness & stay resilient right now
Audience: Remote US & International employees
Dr. Bernstein spoke to University of California Irvine students about the Importance of Purpose-Driven Initiatives for Mental Health & Mental Fitness.
During the webinar (Self-Care & Resilience), she spent 45 minutes sharing stories, offering advice, and - most important - empathetically listening to those in attendance. It was clear that Janeane's perspective and message provided hope and inspiration during a difficult time. - Chris Velardi, Syracuse University
Janeane Bernstein is such an engaging and inspiring presenter and mental health advocate. She continuously breaks away the stigma surrounding mental health as she shares her personal stories and knowledge around embracing the power of creativity and its positive outcomes on mental health. Janeane had the chance to share her expertise with Mental Health America’s network of social workers and counselors and was met with so many positive five-star reviews saying her presentation was “insightful and valuable” and provided “excellent tools to better support clients.”
Janeane has a unique and fresh approach to her branding and delivery. She appeals to the new generation of mental health advocates and leads as a role model by inviting her audience to speak freely about their mental health and understand that it is not weak to ask for help. Not only is her work inspiring but she is a pleasure to work with and I am so happy that she is part of our network of professionals changing the face of mental health challenges.
Our evening with Janeane Bernstein gave me tangible reminders of what is most important, caring about others as ourselves. Her audience engagement and conversational style really opened the room so people felt safe to talk about needing help and compassion. Our last exercise of giving encouragement and a flower to someone in the room we don’t know left me with a tangible reminder of our connections to each other and the importance of nurturing those connections. This is important for everyone, in times of great challenge, and in good times too.
Thank you so much for your engaging presentation at NAMI San Gabriel Valley. It was so wonderful to have people in a room together. You were able to get people thinking and talking about better ideas to support mental health, especially in schools. The magic of it was that everyone was smiling, and the feeling in the room was one of optimism and kindness, not one of complaint and sorrow.
At the root of it was giving people voice to say what they really mean, and what they really feel and need, and that can’t be done without listening. Your role-play exercises showing the art of compassionate listening really hit home. Everyone needs that.
Congratulations to Janeane!... Janeane Bernstein was a Virtual Guest Speaker at Léman Manhattan Preparatory School last week. Our students loved your inspiring Presentation!! - The Power of Self Care! It was much needed especially during these challenging times. Janeane shared great ideas and tools for our students to take away and use for themselves. I highly recommend Janeane, she is energetic, intelligent, excellent speaker with great experience and most importantly, Janeane speaks from the heart!!
My team recently brought in Janeane to facilitate our end-of-year meeting, with a focus on self-care and resilience (it's been a tough year for everyone!). She worked closely with several of the team members to understand our work and tailor her content to our team, and prepared a really engaging and interactive discussion that was fun, meaningful, and the perfect mix of content and conversation. Her warmth made it easy for team members from around the world (India, Europe, US, Canada) to feel comfortable contributing and many team members reached out afterwards to comment that they found it helpful and enjoyable. I'd definitely recommend Janeane as a speaker or facilitator to other organizations!
I had the privilege of introducing Janeane's fabulous book, "Get the Funk Out" at Book Passage late last year (before Covid) and thankfully it came in so handy when STP hit this past March. Her easy, empathetic, and engaging style kept the BP audience riveted with the Q&A going right up to closing time. The message of self-care resonated so much that as a professor at SFSU (teaching health courses), I invited her to spread her inspiring advice & practical tools with my students.
The timing could not have been better as she joined us via ZOOM a month into STP when students were down and distressed. Her enthusiasm instantly engaged all 40 of them, again with a vibrant Q&A. The post-class reviews were all excellent. "Bring her back" they said, and so I'm hoping she'll become a regular guest speaker for years to come. P.S. Janeane is also a guitar player (in a band) and played a song at the end of class, what a treat!
I had the pleasure of connecting with Janeane to develop a plan to offer a "Self-Care and Resilience in the Time of COVID-19" webinar to Syracuse University alumni. During the webinar, she spent 45 minutes sharing stories, offering advice, and - most important - empathetically listening to those in attendance. It was clear that Janeane's perspective and message provided hope and inspiration during a difficult time. It was great to work with Janeane; she was deeply interested in providing a program that would fit the needs of our alumni and eager to engage with the audience. Her easygoing demeanor, authenticity, and ability to truly connect with her audience are tremendous assets. I look forward to working with Janeane on future programs.
We were so excited to have Janeane speak to our community of current students, alumni, and current and former faculty. The theme of her talk was centered around resilience and self-care in a time when it matters most. Her passion, kindness, and love for what she does and who she works with shines so bright and made this an unforgettable experience for our community.
We were so excited and proud to have Janeane come back (albeit virtually) to her alma mater and speak. This was the first time she was able to work with our community in this way and it definitely will NOT be the last! Highly recommend any organization to work with Janeane. She would be perfect for any professional growth and development / health & wellness opportunities for you and your organization.
Janeane recently spoke with our Alumni on a Zoom call discussion entitled WHY SELF CARE & RESILIENCE MATTER MORE THAN EVER. The audience included current seniors from the Class of 2020, alumni and current and former faculty. Her presentation focused on some of the important points in her book, Get The Funk Out, and she masterfully engaged her audience in a meaningful dialogue.
She relates well to all ages and has a way of making everyone feel at ease. Her program is interactive and flows beautifully from beginning to end. If you are looking for someone who can offer hope on how to live with change ,I highly recommend you contact Janeane. As an educator for 50 years I have grown to recognize and appreciate good communicators, Janeane is one of the best! She is thoughtful, sensitive and wise.
Some of the schools Janeane has worked with:
With Janeane Bernstein's guidance, you'll learn how to prioritize mental health and wellbeing in your organization, and implement policies and procedures that enable individuals and groups to become Better Humans. Your target audience will walk away with knowledge and skills that have lasting impact, and experience an event that is emotionally moving and thought-provoking.
Discover the power of a growth mindset with Janeane Bernstein's tailored coaching techniques, designed to help you foster a Better Humans mindset within your organization and throughout society. It's time we prioritize how being better to ourselves and to one another creates much-needed change and impacts our future and future generations to come.