“Positivity opens us. The first core truth about positive emotions is that they open our hearts and our minds, making us more receptive and more creative.”
— Dr. Barbara Fredrickson —
SKILL
Don’t wait for joy to come to you, go get more of it! Learn and practice mindful actions that create Jolts of Joy and turn on positive emotions when you need them most. The overall goal is to have greater control over the ratio of positive to negative emotions you experience each day. Jolts of Joy are small, intentional actions that inject positive emotions into our day and help us take control of our wellbeing moment to moment. And, Jolts of Joy are an accessible skill you, your students with autism, your colleagues and your family can learn to adopt.
Jolts of Joy Broaden and Build
Positive emotions create opportunities for growth and healing, mentally and physically. The Broaden and Build theory is based on the notion that positive emotions enable us to develop new and creative ways of thinking to enhance wellbeing and promote resilience
SCIENCE
Scientific evidence finds that even little moments of joy throughout the day add up to greater physical and mental wellbeing. People who experience positive emotions think better, perform better, and feel better.
Experiencing positive emotions regularly can:
- Open our eyes and minds
- Increase creative thinking
- Expand our visual field
- Allow for global thinking and diversity
- Prevent depression and anxiety
- Undoing effect
- Improve cardiac functioning
- Increase healthy sleep