Classroom Activities
(1) GoodThink Inc. recommends the following "Five Positivity Actions" for increasing well-being in schools and/or workplaces:
- Infuse Positivity into Your Surroundings. Physical environment can have an enormous impact on our mindset and sense of wellbeing. Encourage people to personalize their workspaces with pictures of family, pets, favorite places, or hobbies; add plants, their children’s artwork, or holiday decorations. The positive feelings they inspire will help broaden the amount of possibilities our brains can process, making us more thoughtful, creative, and open to new ideas. They also help build our capabilities, making us more productive and successful. Allow time in each day for “positivity breaks.” Watching a quick YouTube video that makes you laugh or taking a short walk outside can boost positive mood, broaden thinking, and improve working memory.
- Exercise. Most people know that exercise releases pleasure-inducing chemicals called endorphins. But it also improves motivation and feelings of mastery, reduces stress and anxiety, and helps us get into the flow — the feeling of total engagement we get when we are typically at our most productive. If you have a company fitness center, give people the flexibility to shift their work hours so they can use it at the time of day that works best for them. Ask someone to take a walk with you at lunch. Organize team sports, games, or fitness challenges.
- Use a Signature Strength. Each time we use a skill we’re good at, we experience a burst of positivity. Even more fulfilling is using a character strength, a trait that is deeply embedded in who we are. A team of psychologists led by University of Pennsylvania Professor Martin Seligman catalogued the 24 cross-cultural character strengths that most contribute to human flourishing, and developed a survey to identify an individual’s signature strengths. Ask each person on your team to take the free survey at www.viasurvey.org. Encourage people to share their strengths profiles and to list ways they can practice their top strengths at work. Find opportunities for them to work on company projects that leverage their strengths and you’ll see both positive attitudes and greater engagement.
- List Three Gratitudes. More than a decade of empirical studies has proven the profound effect that gratitude has on the way our brains are wired — even if it sounds simplistic or hokey. Follow the practice used in several top companies by setting aside a specific time each day to keep a Gratitude list. By taking just 5 minutes to write or share 3 things that made you feel grateful over the last 24 hours, you’re training your brain to tune into the positives and opportunities around you. This positive outlook not only helps people be more successful, it also helps them stay healthier and live longer.
- Commit a Conscious Act of Kindness. A long line of empirical research shows that altruism decreases stress and strongly contributes to enhanced mental health. Each day, send a short email to someone praising, complimenting, or thanking them for something they have done. Leave a card, a miniature chocolate bar or a flower on a colleague’s desk. Assemble a group of people to help out at a local charity.
(2) Mindfulness and meditation are also recommended practices for increasing well-being. For more information on integrating mindfulness in the classroom, check out Danny Neville's Cohort 21 Blog.
(3) Download an app - check out Gratitude 365, Happify and Headspace!