Finding Your Way Through Uncertainty and Coming Out Stronger

With so much uncertainty enveloping our lives these days, it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. With uncertainty comes an array of feelings - grief, anger, fear, unease. We may feel unsettled, anxious, or like we’re breaking down. And all of those feelings are valid. We are in a pivotal time for the world where nothing makes sense and we struggle to understand what exactly we’re supposed to be doing.

In this episode, Jennifer and Alan discuss the stages of grief that we go through when tragedy strikes. Jennifer also explains how wild circumstances, such as forced social distancing due to a worldwide pandemic, can actually bring about great change if we practice certain skills, like gratitude. She also touches on up Post Traumatic Strength, and Post Traumatic Growth - these are things that we need to be talking about and focusing on right now. You won’t want to miss this one.

List of Resource Suggestions from this episode:

HERO GEN – https://hero-generation.com/covid19/

Global Happiness Council

Access here: http://www.happinesscouncil.org/

The Global Happiness Council (GHC) produces the Global Happiness and Well-Being Policy Report with the goal of informing policy around Positive Education initiatives, Happy Cities, Societal Well-being Interventions, and more.

The site also includes videos and past reports, which are presented at World Governance Summits in a bid to shape legal and governmental frameworks through science-based findings. The GHC also carries out research into personal happiness and Positive Organizations.

About Positive Psychology: Blogs and News

Greater Good Magazine

Access here: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/

This is UC Berkeley’s digital magazine of science-based insights on well-being, gratitude, happiness, and more. Here you’ll find podcasts, videos, exercises, resources, and quizzes, along with articles that cover positive psychology themes in current affairs.

Positive Psychology News

Access here: https://positivepsychologynews.com/

This is written and curated by MAPP graduates and coaches, this site is a wealth of information on courses and resources. It’s regularly updated with book reviews, webinars, conference information, and is also a good place to find more background on PP through articles and a few nice frameworks.

The Psychology of Wellbeing (A positive psychology blog by MAPP graduate and author Jeremy McCarthy)

Access here: http://psychologyofwellbeing.com/

Jeremy McCarthy’s blog is actually an endearing mix of personal reflections on and news about positive psychology news. Here, the author applies positive psychology to wellbeing—holistic wellbeing, with a focus on spas and the hospitality industry. It includes transcripts from talks and relevant research on wellness.

The Happiness Institute Blog

Access here: http://www.thehappinessinstitute.com/blog/

Dr. Tim Sharp is an Adjunct Professor in Positive Psychology at the University of Technology, Sydney. On the Happiness Institute Blog, he curates and writes articles on positive psychology topics like stress, self-care, happiness, and mental health. There are plenty of links to academic articles with more information.

The How of Happiness (A positive psychology blog by Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky)

Access here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/how-happiness

Author Sonja Lyubomirski’s blog covers the science behind what is potentially the most popular positive psychology topic—happiness—from a scientific perspective. She is a Templeton Positive Psychology Prize winner and Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside.

The Good Life (A positive psychology blog by Dr. Christopher Peterson)

Access here:https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-good-life

Christopher Peterson is frequently cited as the author of A Primer in Positive Psychology and has been an editor at The Journal of Positive Psychology. His Good Life Blog is not frequently updated but is full of opinions and insights on topics like happiness, life satisfaction, and books that are worth reading.

Deeper Learning/Research:

Upenn Positive Psychology Center

Access here: https://www.positivepsychology.org (also available at https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/)

This is the University of Pennsylvania’s official Positive Psychology Center webpage. Dr. Martin Seligman, one of the founding fathers of Positive Psychology, is the director of this Center. On this site, you’ll find the latest of the University’s programs, an overview of UPenn’s research in various PP fields, and a wealth of resources such as questionnaires and further links to external bodies for therapists.

VIA Institute on Character

Access here: https://www.viacharacter.org/www/

This is the official site for the VIA Character Strengths Survey. The non-profit VIA Institute also provides a character strengths list and information about how to interpret the results of their assessment.

There are resources for professional practitioners and quite a wealth of research findings, including survey data, full-text articles, fact sheets, and a blog that is updated weekly.

The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues

Access here: https://www.jubileecentre.ac.uk/

The University of Birmingham’s Jubilee Centre is involved in research projects aimed at understanding how character, values, and virtues contribute to human flourishing. At the link above, you’ll find more pages for learning about these projects, and multimedia resources for learning, as well as a nice blog on virtues.

In the Library section, there is a further database of articles with numerous open access options.

Science of Generosity

Access here: https://generosityresearch.nd.edu/

This website from the University of Notre Dame has a Research Resources section which includes links to survey data and even the related questionnaire items that have been used in studies on generosity.

Users who are hoping not to dig into hard data will also find reports, literature, and working papers in the same section. The Science of Generosity site also includes background on the Science of Generosity initiative and an overview of its current projects.

Compassion:

Stanford Medicine Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education

Access here: https://ccare.stanford.edu/

Stanford’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) is committed to researching how ‘positive qualities of the human mind‘ benefit society and individuals. These include techniques and approaches for fostering compassion and its promotion in schools and institutions.

On this page, CCARE features some of its own research, a database of other curated academic articles, and resources such as articles and overviews from past events.

CompassionLab

Access here: https://www.compassionlab.com/

CompassionLab is run by organizational researchers, with a goal of encouraging the use of compassion in professional contexts such as leadership and employee engagement. This site includes presentations, journal articles, book chapters, and links to other theory- and practice-related sites on Positive Organizations.

Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence

Access here:http://ei.yale.edu

The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence is a well-known source of academic information, research, and tools. It is behind the development of the RULER approach, a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) framework with potential and demonstrated applications in professional development and education.

The Center site thus provides background information on EI for educators, coaches, and therapists alike—here, you can access research on the Center’s science-based RULER approach. It also offers ample RULER documentation and emotional intelligence case studies.

Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations

Access here:http://www.eiconsortium.org

The EI Consortium seeks to progress research into, and practical applications of, emotional intelligence. This website contains a good collection of the publications and news about EI in business settings and leadership, as well as information on dissertations, book chapters, and emotional intelligence questionnaires. It’s a comprehensive source for anyone looking to research EI closely. 

Gratitude:

Emmons Lab

Access here:https://emmons.faculty.ucdavis.edu/

Here is Dr. Emmons’ own research website, which provides some background into his work on the Youth Gratitude Project (YGP) with Giacomo Bono and Jeffrey Foh. It includes a list of relevant positive psychology publications on gratitude and links back to other webpages related to the YGP. 

Flourishing:

Authentic Happiness

Access here: https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu

Another UPenn resource that links the user to books, questionnaires, projects and initiatives, academic research, blog posts, and news on happiness as a positive psychology topic. It is full of useful resources for teachers, therapists, and researchers, including videos, study opportunities, and training.

Institute for the Study of Human Flourishing

Access here: https://www.ou.edu/flourish

This University of Oklahoma Institute was created to advance the study of human flourishing, further the scientific study of virtue, and engage with the community to promote flourishing. Here, you can easily find online and downloadable resources, including courses and relevant links for parents. 

Global Happiness:

International Research Associates for Happy Societies

Access here: http://www.happysociety.org/

International Research Associates for Happy Societies is a non-profit, independent organization; IRAH started in 1995 as a network for individuals and organizations interested in happiness and promoting well-being in society.

The site itself is in English, though it also includes links to publications in Thai and English. Here, you’ll find news on IRAH’s past activities and links to related sites. It is very much related to happiness in society and features some background on IRAH projects in developing communities.

International Society for Quality of Life Studies

Access here:http://www.isqols.org/

Founded in 1995, the ISQOLS goal is to advance research into happiness, well-being, and quality of life. ISQOLS hosts an annual conference on Quality of Life and publishes an official journal on the same, Applied Research in Quality of Life.

Their official page includes a range of videos, webinars, access to their bibliographic database, and information about events.

Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations

Access here: http://www.heirs.it/

HEIR combines economic and positive psychology in its research, which focuses on understanding how individual relationships relate to societal happiness and subjective well-being. The team applies economic theory to the positive psychology topics of SWB and interpersonal relationships, and hosts workshops however, the site itself is not designed to be a source of literature or tools.

Harvard University Center for Health and Happiness

Access here: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/health-happiness/

The Center for Health and Happiness at Harvard shares recent publications on topics like positive interventions, well-being, optimism, and health. The official site features links for students and researchers and also provides happiness resources and tools for use in a variety of different contexts. At this site, you can also find out more on the Center’s Seminar Series page, or watch seminar recordings from past events.

OECD Better Life Index

Access here: http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/

In 2013, the OECD released its Guidelines on Measuring Subjective Well-being, to encourage a more holistic approach to studying SWB. These subjective indicators include constructs such as Life Satisfaction and Work-Life Balance, and the OECD considers them alongside objective measures of well-being on a national scale. This link will take you to the global country data that exists to date. According to the OECD, these statistics are being updated as different countries create more assessments of subjective well-being. 

Mindfulness:

UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center

Access here: https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/

MARC carries out education and research to encourage mindful awareness for well-being. The Center provides workshops, tools, and classes for the public and publishes studies on its site. These cover mindfulness topics such as MBSR, mindful awareness practices in education and the elderly, and also provide a little background on upcoming publications. 

Education:

International Positive Education Network

Access here: https://ipen-festival.com/what

IPEN has an extensive online learning library of resources for schools and educators. You’ll find articles, activities, handouts, worksheets, lesson plans, case studies, and downloadables such as posters for use in class. The link above takes you to a sister site which will lead you to the main site (currently under maintenance). On the site, you’ll see a map of where the IPEN community is distributed across the world and there is also considerable background materials about Positive Education.

Positive Education Schools Association

Access here: https://www.pesa.edu.au/

PESA is an Australian peak body dedicated to encouraging evidence-based approaches to well-being. The PESA site is a source of information on events, with a calendar of summits and conferences. Practitioners and educators can find out more about PESA’s state chapters to access support and resources for teachers and schools.

The Positive Psychology Project: Character Strengths

Access here: https://posproject.org/character-strengths/

This is an official page for research and resources on the 24 Positive Psychology Strengths identified by Drs Chris Peterson and Martin Seligman. The mission of the Positive Psychology Project is to train and equip educators and schools for helping children become their best selves through their strengths.

The Resources section, therefore, includes playbooks, videos, character strengths, PPTs, and lesson plans for users to download.

Character Lab

Access here: https://characterlab.org/

A non-profit organization centered on Positive Education, Character Lab was set up by Angela Duckworth, UPenn’s Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Psychology, and two educators, Dave Levin and Dominic Randolph.

Character Lab provides strategy playbooks for schools and educators, including the Kindness Playbook, Social Intelligence Playbook, and Gratitude Playbook. These also offer downloadable worksheets and links to further supporting research.

Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory

Access here: http://peplab.web.unc.edu/research/

The University of North Carolina’s PEP lab promotes and conducts research into how positive emotions impact on their health, social behavior, thinking, and physiology. Its research page provides a link to the Lab’s publications and outlines various positive psychology theories of emotion. These include frameworks, articles, and ‘read more’ material on hypotheses in the field.

Workplace:

Center for Positive Organizations

Access here: https://www.bus.umich.edu/positive

In 2010, the Ross School of Business-based Center was awarded the Joanne Martin Trailblazer award for its work in Positive Organizational research. Here you’ll find Positive Organizational studies and scholarship on the topic, along with teaching resources, research, and tools for professionals. There are also links to talks in the Center’s Speaker Series and events listed, including conferences and Positive Research incubators.

APA Center for Organizational Excellence

Access here: http://www.apaexcellence.org/

Psychologically healthy workplaces are the goal of this APA Center. Here, employees, leaders, and psychologists will find tips for putting Positive Organizational theory into practice. As well as articles and tools for employers, there are also events and awards for companies.

Resilience:

The Resilience Research Centre

Access here: http://www.resilienceresearch.org/

This is Dalhousie University’s Center for Research, the research featured on this site approaches resilience as a contextually- and culturally-embedded concept. Resources available on this site include tools, methods videos, publications, and approaches. The Resilience Research Centre (RRC) also offers case studies, workshops, and evaluations—the latter being initiatives that integrate some RRC measures in action.

Master Resilience Training Skills

Access here: https://www.usar.army.mil/MRT/

This page gives an official overview of the US Army’s Master Resilience Training (MRT) skills and competencies. This gives some background and detail on the approaches used in MRT to develop resilience in soldiers and their families, such as Energy Management, Problem Solving, and Real-Time Resilience.

Harvard University Resilience Consortium

Access here: https://resilienceconsortium.bsc.harvard.edu/

This Harvard University site presents a huge array of resources on research for students, educators, and individuals. You can browse resources by type or topic to find assessments, frameworks, interventions, handouts, and research on resilience. Or, you can watch videos, read the blog, listen to podcasts, or learn about the events that the Consortium supports.

Positive Psychology Research: Articles and Journals

If you are looking for a list of peer-reviewed academic journals and special issues on the topic, hopefully, the following will be of help:

The Journal of Positive Psychology: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/17439760.asp

Journal of Happiness Studies: https://link.springer.com/journal/10902

Emotion: https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/emo/

Journal of Positive Psychology and Wellbeing: https://www.journalppw.com/php/JPPW

International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology: https://www.springer.com/psychology/journal/41042

Journal of Wellbeing Assessment: https://www.springer.com/social+sciences/wellbeing+&+quality-of-life/journal/41543

Journal of Applied Positive Psychology: https://www.org/

Applied Research in Quality of Life: https://link.springer.com/journal/11482

The British Psychological Society (2003 Special Issue): https://thepsychologist.bps.uk/volume-16/edition-3/positive-psychology-special-issue

American Psychologist (2002 Special Issue): https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/special/4015501

Find out more about Jennifer:

Website: https://www.jennifer-moss.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenLeighMoss

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jleighmoss/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenleighmoss/

About Our Guest

Jennifer Moss  is an author, an international speaker, a columnist for the CBC, a contributor to Harvard Business Review and a member of the UN Global Happiness Council committee. She is also the co-founder and Board Member at Plasticity Labs, a workplace insights and consultancy firm.

Jennifer Moss Social Links

Website: https://www.jennifer-moss.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenleighmoss/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jleighmoss/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenLeighMoss