The Power of Small Tip #13: Small Check-Ins Save Lives; One Conversation Can Change
The Power of Small: How Little Things Make a Big Difference
Think about the last time something small made a big difference: a word of encouragement, a small idea, a two-minute lesson that stuck. This season on I Love Learning, we’re diving into The Power of Small. Host Dr. Gina Anderson will unpack stories of how learning doesn’t have to be big to be powerful because sometimes, it’s the smallest spark that ignites the biggest change.
For more on the Power of Small, check out Dr. Gina Anderson’s TEDx Raleigh talk “How Microlearning and Connections Transform Us: The Power of Being Present,”.
I Love Learning Podcast, S2 EP13: Dr. Emily Rooney
Think about the last time someone simply asked you, “Are you really okay?”
Not in passing.
Not as a greeting.
But with eye contact. With pause. With presence.
In this episode of I Love Learning, Dr. Emily Rooney, Assistant Professor of Psychology at The Citadel, reminds us that when it comes to mental health — especially for college students — the smallest moments of connection can interrupt the darkest thoughts.
We often believe solutions must be massive: new programs, new policies, new funding, new initiatives.
But Dr. Rooney highlights something powerful:
Small check-ins matter.
Small observations matter.
Small shifts in language matter.
Small acts of noticing matter.
A professor who lingers after class.
A roommate who asks one more question.
A leader who models vulnerability.
A parent who listens without fixing.
In the mental health crisis facing young adults across the United States, we cannot underestimate the power of a two-minute conversation.
Because isolation grows in silence.
But connection grows in presence.
The Power of Small reminds us that culture doesn’t change all at once it changes through everyday behaviors repeated consistently.
One small decision to check in.
One small moment of courage to ask.
One small choice to listen.
Small does not mean insignificant.
Sometimes, small is life-saving.
To connect with Dr. Emily Rooney, visit www.linkedin.com/in/emilyannerooney
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