Positive Emotions Today for a Resilient Future
Photo credit: Lidya Nada via Unsplash
In our COVID-19 landscape, experiencing and sharing positive emotions has become more important than ever. Beyond the in-the-moment impact of joy or inspiration, positive emotions actually open our minds new opportunities that can prepare us to be more resilient in the future.
I learned about this theory developed by Barbara Fredrickson, during my undergrad days at Brown University when I was introduced to positive psychology. The Broaden and Build theory states that positive emotions expand an individual’s cognitive landscape and motivate one to try new things or meet new people that will build skills and resources for the future.
I was so intrigued by Broaden and Build that I remember calling my friends and talking on the phone to share what I’d learned — and I hate talking on the phone. While it was easy to delve into the research behind the theory because it is fascinating, it resonated with me because I had never given much thought to the value of positive emotions. Writing these words brings me a bit of sadness because as I have gotten older, I’ve worked hard to unlearn my resistance towards joy for the sake of being joyful.
I had a very happy, charmed childhood but I will say that aside from love, we never talked much about positive emotions. We talked a lot about hard work, discipline, sacrifice, resilience, grit, and honesty. Those conversations and behaviors modeled by my parents had a marked effect on me and I had no trouble working just as hard as my high performing peers. I noticed, however, that so many of my peers seemed to be having a much better time than I was. As I struggled with depression and anxiety throughout college, my urge to suppress positive emotions became even stronger; I declined so many social invitations under the guise of hard work, discipline, or weird self-punishment tendencies as I fell into superfluous guilt spirals. Denial of my own positive emotions did not allow me to build as many durable resources for my future; it caused me to turn away from fun, turn down opportunities to try new skills or hobbies, and most likely miss out on some great friendships.
By no means, have I been living a life of doom and gloom but it is apparent to me that prioritizing positive emotions is so much bigger than the momentary impact on our daily lives. Positive emotions — joy, interest, amusement, awe, contentment, love — come into our daily lives and change us over time. They lead us to discover new things and people and places that eventually become part of our reserves for building a brighter future. In the face of adversity or uncertainty, positive emotions help humans become more resilient.
Our world has been grieving its collective loss of normal and as we flirt with new timelines for extended quarantines and post-COVID life, giving a nod to the role positive emotions play as we sort through everything is important.
The three strategies I am employing during these uncertain times to foster positive emotions are:
- staying physically active — get the endorphins flowing!
- supplementing healthy food with low-dose cannabis products that get me out of my head and into the present — enjoy what’s in front us now.
- calling the positive emotions by name in hopes of teaching our little one how to foster them as she grows — if you name it, you can talk about it.
If you have tips or strategies for fostering positive emotions, especially during these uncharted times, please send them our way.
