a reflection of success and health. 4
Furthermore, Fredrickson has shown the importance of experiencing higher levels of positive emotions for resilience. ‘Trying times almost inevitably bring negativity,’ she explains. ‘Unchecked, the narrowed mindsets of negativity can pull you on a downward spiral and drain the very life out of you. Yet even while unforeseen forces pull you down, you can choose a different course.’ 5 Positive emotions can loosen negativity’s grip on your mental outlook. Her research shows that positive emotions haveremained an essential aspect of human functioning, because they open up our hearts and minds to a broader range of possibilities. When we experience positive emotions, we are more creative solution-makers: we literally see more options available to us, and can therefore access a wider range of solutions. They shift our perspective: ‘We can all be astonishingly resilient. Indeed, this is your birthright as a human being. You can bend without breaking. And even when you least suspect it, you can rebound. The good news is that you already have what it takes to bounce back . . . By helping you regain your perspective, moments of joy, love, gratitude, and inspiration remove negativity’s blinders and put the brakes on downward spirals. Positivity, I’ve discovered, is at the heart of human resilience,’ Fredrickson continues.
POSITIVE EMOTIONS DO MORE THAN JUST FEEL GOOD; THEY ACTUALLY DO GOOD.
In the aftermath of 9/11, when the whole of America was left in post-traumatic shock, Fredrickson says she initially questioned the relevance of her work. What place could positive emotions have in such a world? But then the data from her published studies suggesting positive emotions offer a lifeline in the face of trauma encouraged her to dig deeper into the relationship between positive emotions and resilience. Fredrickson and her team had already measured the resilience levels of more than 100 college students. Now she wondered if they could find the same participants, and measure their levels of positive emotions and resilience in the post-9/11 environment to see whether positive emotions helped them cope through the terrorist attacks and their aftermath. Fredrickson and her colleagues called thestudents back in and asked them, among other things, to describe the most stressful situation they’d experienced since 9/11 that was in some way related to the attacks, and how often they’d felt a range of positive and negative emotions. They then measured the students’ resilience, along with their optimism, tranquillity, life satisfaction and symptoms of depression. Their findings have important implications for anyone living through trauma.
Those students who had reported high resilience scores on the initial pre-9/11 survey did indeed demonstrate greater resilience in the aftermath of the event. 6 They showed the fewest signs of clinical depression. What’s more, positive emotions were the secret to their success. Fredrickson and colleagues found a strong association between higher levels of positive emotion and resilient coping styles. ‘People who bounced back were not in denial or selfish . . . Mixed in with their suffering and concern, they also experienced positive emotions. These resilient students felt joy, love, and gratitude when connecting with others . . . Perhaps they were inspired and awed by the groundswell of unity and compassion both within their local community and around the globe. Perhaps they were deeply curious about the unfolding world events, and hopeful about the future despite the grim reality of this trying time.’ 7 Whatever the source, the experience of positive emotions is what made the difference, effectively applying the handbrake to the students’ negative emotions and enabling them to bounce back quickly.
It is true the students participating in this study were not directly involved in the attacks on the Twin Towers and, as far as we know, they
Furthermore, Fredrickson has shown the importance of experiencing higher levels of positive emotions for resilience. ‘Trying times almost inevitably bring negativity,’ she explains. ‘Unchecked, the narrowed mindsets of negativity can pull you on a downward spiral and drain the very life out of you. Yet even while unforeseen forces pull you down, you can choose a different course.’ 5 Positive emotions can loosen negativity’s grip on your mental outlook. Her research shows that positive emotions haveremained an essential aspect of human functioning, because they open up our hearts and minds to a broader range of possibilities. When we experience positive emotions, we are more creative solution-makers: we literally see more options available to us, and can therefore access a wider range of solutions. They shift our perspective: ‘We can all be astonishingly resilient. Indeed, this is your birthright as a human being. You can bend without breaking. And even when you least suspect it, you can rebound. The good news is that you already have what it takes to bounce back . . . By helping you regain your perspective, moments of joy, love, gratitude, and inspiration remove negativity’s blinders and put the brakes on downward spirals. Positivity, I’ve discovered, is at the heart of human resilience,’ Fredrickson continues.
POSITIVE EMOTIONS DO MORE THAN JUST FEEL GOOD; THEY ACTUALLY DO GOOD.
In the aftermath of 9/11, when the whole of America was left in post-traumatic shock, Fredrickson says she initially questioned the relevance of her work. What place could positive emotions have in such a world? But then the data from her published studies suggesting positive emotions offer a lifeline in the face of trauma encouraged her to dig deeper into the relationship between positive emotions and resilience. Fredrickson and her team had already measured the resilience levels of more than 100 college students. Now she wondered if they could find the same participants, and measure their levels of positive emotions and resilience in the post-9/11 environment to see whether positive emotions helped them cope through the terrorist attacks and their aftermath. Fredrickson and her colleagues called thestudents back in and asked them, among other things, to describe the most stressful situation they’d experienced since 9/11 that was in some way related to the attacks, and how often they’d felt a range of positive and negative emotions. They then measured the students’ resilience, along with their optimism, tranquillity, life satisfaction and symptoms of depression. Their findings have important implications for anyone living through trauma.
Those students who had reported high resilience scores on the initial pre-9/11 survey did indeed demonstrate greater resilience in the aftermath of the event. 6 They showed the fewest signs of clinical depression. What’s more, positive emotions were the secret to their success. Fredrickson and colleagues found a strong association between higher levels of positive emotion and resilient coping styles. ‘People who bounced back were not in denial or selfish . . . Mixed in with their suffering and concern, they also experienced positive emotions. These resilient students felt joy, love, and gratitude when connecting with others . . . Perhaps they were inspired and awed by the groundswell of unity and compassion both within their local community and around the globe. Perhaps they were deeply curious about the unfolding world events, and hopeful about the future despite the grim reality of this trying time.’ 7 Whatever the source, the experience of positive emotions is what made the difference, effectively applying the handbrake to the students’ negative emotions and enabling them to bounce back quickly.
It is true the students participating in this study were not directly involved in the attacks on the Twin Towers and, as far as we know, they
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