The Science of Well being and Building Resilience NYC Introductions! CESBA Conference Dec. 1, 2016 Speaker, Author, Well being Expert President Canadian Positive Psychology Association www.cppa.ca Today s Agenda Brief overview of positive psychology and the well being model Building Resilience by: Three Good Things Promoting a Growth Mindset Active Constructive Responding What is Positive Psychology? Positive Psychology is the scientific study of psychological well-being and flourishing. 2016, Louisa Jewell - www.louisajewell.com Louisa@louisajewell.com - 416-481-8930 1
Sigmund Freud Figure out what is wrong. Fix what is wrong. Martin E.P. Seligman What is right with us?= What makes us strong? Prevent. 2016, Louisa Jewell - www.louisajewell.com Louisa@louisajewell.com - 416-481-8930 2
Causal Relationship HAPPINESS Optimistic people experience higher levels of achievement SUCCESS Lyubomirsky, King, & Diener, 2005 Seligman, M.E.P., Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Thornton, N., & Thornton, C.M. (1990). Explanatory style as a mechanism of disappointing athletic performance. Psychological Science, 1, 143-146 Resilience training can cut depression rates in half 6 Pillars to Lasting Happiness [PERMA-V] 2016, Louisa Jewell - www.louisajewell.com Louisa@louisajewell.com - 416-481-8930 3
PERMA: Positive Emotions Research shows that positive emotions have a function and can build psychological tools for greater resilience, happiness and well being Positive emotions are not the same as positive thinking #1: Find Joy Everyday Examples of positive emotions are: love, joy, gratitude, serenity, hope, inspiration, awe 2016, Louisa Jewell - www.louisajewell.com Louisa@louisajewell.com - 416-481-8930 4
Complete complex tasks Intellectual faster & resources with greater accuracy Broadens vision for Physical higher levels Resources of creativity People feel more Social Resources connected to others So positive emotions build psychological resilience PERMA: Engagement When we're truly engaged in a task or project, we experience a state of flow: we lose all sense of time, we re optimally challenged, we are not self conscious and we are mindful (fully present) #2: Practice Mindfulness The more we experience flow the more likely we are to experience well being. 2016, Louisa Jewell - www.louisajewell.com Louisa@louisajewell.com - 416-481-8930 5
Benefits of Mindfulness Leads to savoring small pleasures in life Helps you be more engaged in activities You are less likely to get caught up in worries about the future or regrets of the past Mindfulness also improves physical health: helps relieve stress treat heart disease lower blood pressure reduce chronic pain improve sleep alleviate gastrointestinal difficulties #3: Connect to Purpose & Meaning 2012 Accentuate Consulting; Positive Matters PERMA: Purpose & Meaning Meaning is derived from feeling that your life has purpose and contributes to something bigger than yourself The most validated way to bring greater happiness to your life is by doing something kind for someone else 2016, Louisa Jewell - www.louisajewell.com Louisa@louisajewell.com - 416-481-8930 6
#4: Build your Confidence PERMA: Accomplishment As human beings, we are constantly striving to feel competent at what we do Positive accomplishment is about mastering a skill, achieving an important goal, succeeding at work or school or in a competitive event Angela Duckworth University Pennsylvania What if doing well in school and in life depends on much more than your ability to learn quickly and easily? One characteristic emerged as a significant predictor of success...it was GRIT. What builds GRIT? A Growth Mindset & Optimism GRIT: Passion and perseverance for long term goals. 2016, Louisa Jewell - www.louisajewell.com Louisa@louisajewell.com - 416-481-8930 7
Dr. Carol Dweck Stanford University Building a Growth Mindset Fixed Mindset Growth Mindset You are born with a certain IQ you can learn a great deal, but you can t significantly change your IQ (born smart or not) You are not born with a certain amount of IQ you can learn a great deal, and you can increase your IQ Fixed Mindset Main Goal Look Smart/Good - Set performance goals Challenges Avoid - Challenge or failure means I am not talented Growth Mindset Learning - Set learning goals Embrace challenges - Challenge or failure means I have not worked hard enough Obstacles Give up easily Persist in the face of setbacks Effort Criticism Success of Others See effort as fruitless or worse - View effort as a sign of low intelligence Ignores useful negative feedback Feels threatened by the success of others See effort as the path to mastery - View effort as a necessary part of success Learn from criticism Find lessons and inspiration in the success of others Person Praise Promotes Fixed Mindset Person praise (You are smart, good, kind) involves a global assessment based on specific behavior or performance and will promote helplessness behaviors Example: You are so smart! You are a star! 2016, Louisa Jewell - www.louisajewell.com Louisa@louisajewell.com - 416-481-8930 8
Process Praise Promotes Growth Mindset Process praise (you worked hard, you studied wisely) focuses on effort and strategy and will promote master behaviors Example: You must have worked hard on that. I could see how you used your communication skills well in that situation. #5: Nurture Positive Relationships PERMA: Relationships Why Relationships are so important We are hard wired for social connection We are hard wired for social connection Positive relationships are critical to our wellbeing Research shows that the greatest predictor of happiness is meaningful relationships Other people matter. Chris Peterson 2012 Positive Matters; 2012 Accentuate Consulting 2016, Louisa Jewell - www.louisajewell.com Louisa@louisajewell.com - 416-481-8930 9
Active Constructive Responding Active Constructive Responding to other s good events helps to build connection & strengthens relationships Effective Praise identifies what was working and enables more success Building Strong Relationships through Active Constructive Responding Four ways people tend to respond when others share good news Only one leads to more robust relationships and greater well being in both parties Ways of Responding V for Vitality Active Constructive Enthusiastic support, drawing out speaker, more capitalizing That s great news! Tell me more. Passive Constructive Quiet, low energy support That s nice. Active Destructive Quashing the event That means more stress. I don t envy you. Passive Destructive Ignoring the event, changing focus to self Listen to what happened to me. Physical Sleep Food Exercise Meditation (S. Gable et al) 2012 Accentuate Consulting; Positive Matters 2016, Louisa Jewell - www.louisajewell.com Louisa@louisajewell.com - 416-481-8930 10
6 Pillars PERMA 1. Choose Joy Positive emotions 2. Practice Mindfulness Engagement 3. Nurture Positive Relationships 4. Connect to Meaning and Purpose 5. Build your Confidence Positive Accomplishment 6. Mind/Body Vitality My son is under a doctor's care and should not take PE today. Please execute him. Please excuse Amanda for being absent. She was sick and I had her shot. 2016, Louisa Jewell - www.louisajewell.com Louisa@louisajewell.com - 416-481-8930 11
Dear school: please excuse John being absent on Jan 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and also 33. Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football. He was hurt in the growing part. Please excuse Ray Friday from school. He has very loose vowels. My daughter was absent yesterday because she was tired. She spent the weekend with the marines. 2016, Louisa Jewell - www.louisajewell.com Louisa@louisajewell.com - 416-481-8930 12
Tina was absent because she had a fever, headache, and upset stomach. There must be something going around, her father even got hot last night. Thank you! louisa@louisajewell.com www.louisajewell.com @louisajewell www.cppa.ca 2016, Louisa Jewell - www.louisajewell.com Louisa@louisajewell.com - 416-481-8930 13