by Sarah Cramoysan | November, 2020 | Humour, Sarah Cramoysan
Speaking as a positive psychology student who feels they should know how to cope, I have to admit that there are times when trying to maintain a positive outlook on life gets increasingly hard. In the early days of lockdown, I managed to retain a grateful outlook on life, enjoying walking and cycling with my husband in the beautiful Hampshire countryside where we live. When we did bump into people we knew whilst we were out, everyone was so pleased to stop and talk, it was easy to see the positives in our situation, particularly bearing in mind we were all very conscious of the war against Covid being fought by the NHS in intensive care units up and down the land. I was very grateful that my family and most of my friends had not been adversely affected. Eight months down the line, however, with the nights drawing in and the number of Covid cases rising, it’s getting harder to stay positive. I’m still focussing on gratitude, enjoying the glorious autumn colours of the trees, and appreciating the contact with family and friends that is still (for the moment) allowed, but there are times when I’m struggling that I need something more to lift my mood. The answer for me in the last few weeks has been Brooklyn Nine-nine – not normally mentioned as a Positive Psychology intervention, but for me it has been very effective. Brooklyn Nine-Nine as a Positive Psychology Intervention For those readers who are not aware of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, I should explain it’s a comedy series available on Netflix, – a cop show set...
by Julie Ostrow | July, 2019 | Humour, Julie Ostrow
Being part of an organization can be exciting. It’s a place to share ideas, collaborate, and feel as though you are making a difference. And, sometimes it can be stressful. Personality conflicts and miscommunication can contribute to stress in the workplace. In some organizations, leaders often mistakenly believe there is no room for humor at work. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Humor, laughter, and improv skills help employees: · Practice and perfect their listening skills · Remove the walls of judgment · Learn to accept each other’s differences · Create a more understanding and cohesive environment What a lighthearted and playful atmosphere can do for an organization: Improve Communication While technology allows teams to stay connected, it is also often the cause of disconnection. Teams use tools like instant messaging, WebEx meetings, and email to stay in touch others across the office or around the globe. But, fewer face-to-face interactions can have a significantly negative impact on a team. Improv skills can lead to reconnection. When conducting workshops with teams, improv is an easy way to demonstrate effective communication and the ramifications of miscommunication. Improv is also a fun way to practice the new skills. Build Up Staff Morale and Increases Confidence The general rules around improve include agreeing with one another, saying YES AND, and that there are NO mistakes only OPPORTUNITIES. These rules can have a positive impact on morale and employee confidence when used in the workplace. Improvisation teaches participants to be vulnerable, open, and real. Because there is no plan or script in improv, players rely on their own imagination and the trust...
by Lisa Jones | March, 2019 | Humour, Lisa Jones
This month’s blog looks at humour and how it can be used to reduce anxiety and overwhelm. I’m certainly guilty of taking myself and life far too seriously much of the time. With the endless responsibilities and goals we have each day it’s no wonder we loose ourselves in it all and start to believe that it’s the end of the world if we don’t get it all done. I’m one of the worse to want to hide under the desk when my head is full of thoughts and I’m feeling harassed with the amount I have to do! Reminding ourselves to lighten up and relax our tense muscles is a great way to stop the spiral of anxiety before it drags us down. Humour and well-being Research tells us that having a sense of humour is correlated to well-being. To move people from languishing to flourishing is a key part of positive psychology’s ambition. Humour is one of the character strengths within the VIA strengths indicator, yet there has only more recently been an interest across the research field in understanding how humour can play an active role in well-being. Those who naturally have a sense of humour don’t take themselves too seriously, and are better at rebounding back from challenges. It appears to be a part of a resilient personality. This makes sense when we think of humour as a strength that is defined as someone who is a positive influence on others and likes to joke and bring a smile to other people’s faces. Studies have already identified that those people have more positive emotions and...
