Positivity—It’s Not What You Think!

     When you hear "positivity," maybe you think of people who tout lines from songs, like “Don't worry, be happy” or “Always look on the bright side of things…” Or the somewhat pejorative expression in sentences like, “She’s such a Pollyanna!”

      Positivity doesn't refer simply to happiness or cheerfulness. It's much more complex—and interesting—than just say, having a positive attitude.

       Consider the opposite, negativity. Things that bring you down, that sap your energy, that make you angry or depressed, feel defeated or inferior, jealous, or critical of self or others—these are expressions, and sources, of negativity.

       Researcher Barbara L. Fredrickson offers 10 main sources of positivity (though there are more). Some of these may surprise you.
       As you read this list, think of occasions when you felt these emotions.

1. Gratitude. This emotion has been posited as the gateway to all the other positive emotions and is most worth cultivating for that reason. As Fredrickson explains in her book, Positivity*.  Gratitude opens your heart and carries the urge to give back—to do something good in return, either for the person who helped you or for someone else.” Paying it forward, in other words.
2. Joy: In this emotion, you are feeling safe and things are going much better than anticipated. “[T]he situations requires little effort on your part.”
3. Serenity: This is an emotion that arises on its own, not requiring you to make an effort to evoke. It "enters when your surroundings are safe and familiar... But unlike joy, serenity is much more low key.... a mindful state that carries the urge to savor your current circumstances and... integrate them into your life more often." 
4. Interest: OK, you say, really? Interest is positivity? Yes. When you are engaged, fascinated, urged to immerse yourself in something that has captured your attention, you are activating a positive-emotion part of the brain. You become more open, begin to learn, to make connections in new ways.
5. Hope: Another wonderful feeling, right? Fredrickson describes it as fundamentally “the belief that things can change. … Possibilities exist. … It motivates you to tap into your own capabilities and inventiveness to turn things around. It inspires you to plan for a better future.” Having positive plans and goals for the future is an important key to quieting negativity.
6. Pride: Wait, isn't this is a bad thing? “Pride goeth before a fall,” right?  This is not referring to the self-glorifying, chest-pounding, haughty sort of pride. Rather, it is the one that comes from a sense of accomplishment, of socially valued achievement. Having done the best you can in a socially contributive activity. It is tempered with appropriate humility. “[P]ride fuels the motivation to achieve.” Experiments show that “when people feel pride, they are more likely to persist on difficult tasks,” Fredrickson reports.
7. Amusement: This refers to a kinds of humor. It’s typically a surprise, makes you want to laugh, and is, by definition, “nonserious.” Caution: Sarcasm or making fun of someone else is not encompassed by the positivity sense of amusement. The underlying emotions of those activities are negative.
8. Inspiration: It may be spiritual, creative, intellectual. When you feel inspired, you are experiencing positivity.
9. Awe: How you feel when something takes your breath away—like seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time. The face of your child for the first time. The view at the top of the mountain before you ski down. An incredible piece of art. Also, amazement at what another person has done—without going to a place of jealousy or self-deprecation, of course.
10. Love: This one's obvious, right? The deep feeling of giving or receiving love is positive. It makes us feel safe, connected. Fredrickson goes even further, pointing out that it can encompass all of the other nine emotions listed above.

      Were you able to pause at any of the above to reflect on a time that you felt that emotion?

       If you paused long enough to savor that memory, chances are you evoked that same positivity again. In just such moments, you increase your positivity. You may even feel positive right now, having focused on (been interested by, engaged with) this subject.     

       We encounter negativity constantly—on the news, in the workplace, in our relationships, and in our own thoughts of self-doubt, worry, complaint, and so forth. Increasing our positivity is possible, though, and has numerous concrete benefits for our health, relationships and future circumstances.

       While the negative emotions have long been the sole focus of psychology, the newer field of positive psychology is interested in why we have positive emotions, why we developed them, and how to cultivate them.

        In her “broaden and build” theory, Fredrickson explains that positive emotions are future oriented, connecting, and protecting, while negative emotions are backwards looking, or at best, focused on the now (survival, getting through a difficult time). Positive ones “broaden our mind and expand our range of vision.”

       “At a fundamental level," she says, "…positivity alters your brain and changes the way you interact with the world.” Her research and various experiments validate her theory.

       The more positivity you have and the more you cultivate, the more positivity comes into your life. When you can achieve a ratio of about three positive emotional experience for every negative one, positivity begins to increase in an upward spiral, overtaking negativity, leading to an increasingly positive life.

       Want this?

       You can begin by employing behavior, thoughts, and attitudes such as practicing kindness, looking for value and constructive lessons even in the struggles and challenges that come your way, being sincere, and counting your blessings. Fight off the negative thoughts and worries by taking time to savor good memories and current positive circumstances often, instead of ruminating on the negative. Also, share your positive experiences (instead of, say, complaints)—relive them in the telling, re-experience the good emotions. This is a way to multiply their positive impact, and a fun way to increase your own positivity.

            As we learn from mind-body medicine and research, the body’s stress and relaxation responses—from your brain to your cells and even genes—positivity has real impact on the structure and functioning of your brain, on what your cells are doing, and hence on your health.

            For more detailed and encouraging discussion of her research and the cultivation of positivity, read Fredrickson's book, including its toolkit for raising your positivity and lowering negativity. And tune in here for other discussions. 

* Positivity: Top Notch Research Reveals the 3 to 1 Ratio that will Change Your Life

Visit ed.ted.com for several Fredrickson talks, starting with Barbara Fredrickson: Positive Emotions Open Our Mind.

Elisabeth Carter Ed.M., MFA, completed the training to provide SMART at the Benson Henry Institute in 2015. For information about her Metro-West (Boston) based program, visit www.managemystress.net.