Posted: May 14, 2026
May is Mental Health Awareness Month (founded in 1949) and for CDA candidates, it's a good time to self-reflect on how you are currently feeling about your CDA experience.
Portrait of a smiling adult in business casual clothes holding a tablet
Self-reflection can help CDA candidates recognize their emotions as they relate to their involvement in the CDA. For instance, you might have complex, mixed emotions about the CDA process. You might notice that you feel anxious, excited, and unsure. When you can label and understand your emotions, you can accept that they exist and plan strategies for how to process and manage them. This self-awareness helps to build capacity in self-management and self-care. The more aware we are of our emotions, the better able we are to plan for our own well-being and professional responsibilities.
Better self-care, better well-being: Try affirmations!
Affirmations are statements you say or think to yourself that reinforce what matters to you and who you want to be (Mental Health America, n.d.).
Consistent practice of positive, personal, and present-tense affirmations helps your brain focus on what matters most, making stress feel less overwhelming in the short and long term by altering how you perceive and respond to it.
"I believe my strengths and talents can be developed."
"I am proud of my CDA progress; I choose progress over perfection."
"I have the capacity to surprise myself, and my imagination deserves space to play"
(Mental Health America, n.d., fifth bullet).
Give affirmations a try! Explore the handout "Affirmations for more good days and why they work" from Mental Health America.
More CDA support!
Reference
Mental Health America. (n. d.). Affirmations for more good days and why they work. Retrieved May 2025.
