S1 Ep13: Christian van Nieuwerburgh - Nurturing Relationships

Welcome to Episode 54.  This is the last of the extended podcast episodes where you have had the opportunity to listen to the replays of the For Flourishing’s Sake book launch events.

Today, I bring you the second half of the fourth and final panel discussion of the book launch extravaganza.  This panel was recorded live on 21st August, the day the paperback edition of For Flourishing’s Sake was published.  You can also watch all the video replays on the Book Launch Extravaganza page at forflourishingssake.com.

The final panel was chaired by Andrew Cowley, author of The Wellbeing Toolkit and of the beautiful Foreword to my book. The panellists, alongside me, were:

Paul Bateson, Teacher, Writer and PGCE Tutor at Huddersfield University (UK)

Julie Goldstein, Principal at Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy (USA)

Dan Morrow, CEO of the Woodland Academy Trust (UK)

In this final book launch panel discussion, just as schools in the UK and the US were about to re-open for a new academic year in the midst of a pandemic, we pondered how important positive education is - more than ever.

In this second half of the discussion, we discussed where the priorities should lie, between dealing with mental health and wellbeing in the context of Covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement, or ensuring children “catch up” academically if they have fallen behind.  We also had a fascinating conversation about whether kindness can be taught, and if so, how, and ended the discussion by sharing each of our dreams for the future of education.

You can watch back all the panel video recordings here.  

Before I play back the panel discussion recording, I also need to let you know a bit of news.  Season one of this podcast has been a long season: 54 episodes without break and almost half of those episodes recorded and scheduled in the middle of a pandemic.  Therefore, the For Flourishing’s Sake podcast will now take a little break and it may come back in a different format, or with reduced frequency.  I do intend for it to come back, in whatever form, so do watch this space and as long as you’ve subscribed on your usual podcasting app, you’ll never miss an episode when it does come back!

Now, here is today’s episode…

-------------------------

Thank you for listening to the For Flourishing’s Sake podcast. If you have found this episode useful / interesting, please give it a five star rating on iTunes.  The podcast will be taking a little break now, but we will be back, so if you haven’t already, remember to subscribe on your usual podcasting site so you never miss an episode.

The “For Flourishing’s Sake” book is available from all major online book retailers in most countries.  It’s jam-packed with evidence-based strategies for whole school positive education with case study examples from a wide range of schools from around the world. Have you got your copy yet?

If you’d like to get in touch with questions or comments, or to contribute to a future podcast episode, please contact me via Twitter at @FlourishingED.  You can also leave comments on individual episode pages right here (see bottom of this page).

I look forward to hearing from you, and until next time, For Flourishing’s Sake, be safe, be well, and have a great week!

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

Welcome to Episode 53.  This is the penultimate of the extended podcast episodes where you have had the opportunity to listen to the replays of the For Flourishing’s Sake book launch events.

Today, I bring you the first half of the fourth and final panel discussion of the book launch extravaganza.  This panel was recorded live on 21st August, the day the paperback edition of For Flourishing’s Sake was published.  You can also watch all the video replays on the Book Launch Extravaganza page at forflourishingssake.com.

The final panel was chaired by Andrew Cowley, author of The Wellbeing Toolkit and of the beautiful Foreword to my book. The panellists, alongside me, were:

Paul Bateson, Teacher, Writer and PGCE Tutor at Huddersfield University (UK)

Julie Goldstein, Principal at Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy (USA)

Dan Morrow, CEO of the Woodland Academy Trust (UK)

In this final book launch panel discussion, just as schools in the UK and the US were about to re-open for a new academic year in the midst of a pandemic, we pondered how important positive education is - more than ever.

In this first half of the discussion, we shared our definitions of positive education, discussed whether educating for character and wellbeing are the same thing, and whether they come at the expense of academic progress.  Finally, we shared our thoughts on and examples of whether Positive Education works anywhere, in any setting, with any age group.

You can watch back all the panel video recordings here.  

-------------------------

Thank you for listening to the For Flourishing’s Sake podcast. If you have found this episode useful / interesting, please give it a five star rating on iTunes to help it reach more people and please spread the word. Also, if you haven’t already, remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

For Flourishing’s Sake is available on all the major podcasting sites

The book is available at all major online book retailers in most countries.  It’s jam-packed with evidence-based strategies for whole school positive education with case study examples from a wide range of schools from around the world. Have you got your copy yet?

If you’d like to get in touch with questions or comments, or to contribute to a future podcast episode, please contact me via Twitter at @FlourishingED.  You can also leave comments on individual episode pages right here (see bottom of this page).

I look forward to hearing from you, and until next time, For Flourishing’s Sake, have a great week!

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

Season 1, Episode 52 (24th August 2020)

A whole school approach to education for good citizenship - Book Launch Panel 3 Part 2

Welcome to Episode 52.

This is the sixth of the extended podcast episodes over the next few weeks, where you will be able to listen to the replays of the For Flourishing’s Sake book launch events.

Today, I bring you the second half of the third panel discussion of the book launch extravaganza.  This panel was recorded live on 18th June, the day the Kindle edition of For Flourishing’s Sake was published.  The paperback was published on Friday 21st August and the fourth panel was aired that day live.  You will be able to listen back to it over the next two weeks, but if you can’t wait, head over to the Book Launch Extravaganza page to watch the replay!

So, back to today’s replay of part two of panel 3.  I chaired the panel myself and the panellists were:

Ian Flintoff, Positive Psychology-based Education Coach/Consultant/Trainer at Affirm Consulting (UK)

Serdar Ferit, Co-CEO & Creative Director at Lyfta (Finland & UK)

Katrina Mankani, Director of Positive Education, Sunmarke School and Regent International School (Dubai, UAE)

Julie Goldstein, Principal at Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy (USA)

In this second half of the panel discussion, the panellists shared their thoughts and experiences, with examples, of elements required for a whole school approach to positive education.  They particularly focused on the important role that staff training and leadership have to play. And finally, they shared how it feels when you get it right - when it goes well - and their hopes and dreams for the future of education.

You can watch back all the panel video recordings here.  

-------------------------

Thank you for listening to the For Flourishing’s Sake podcast. If you have found this episode useful / interesting, please give it a five star rating on iTunes to help it reach more people and please spread the word. Also, if you haven’t already, remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

For Flourishing’s Sake is available on all the major podcasting sites

The book is available at all major online book retailers in most countries.  It’s jam-packed with evidence-based strategies for whole school positive education with case study examples from a wide range of schools from around the world. Have you got your copy yet?

If you’d like to get in touch with questions or comments, or to contribute to a future podcast episode, please contact me via Twitter at @FlourishingED.  You can also leave comments on individual episode pages right here at www.forflourishingssake.com (see bottom of this page).

I look forward to hearing from you, and until next time, For Flourishing’s Sake, have a great week!

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

Welcome to Episode 51.

This is the fifth of the extended podcast episodes over the next few weeks, where you will be able to listen to the replays of the For Flourishing’s Sake book launch events.

Today, I bring you the first half of the third panel discussion of the book launch extravaganza.  This panel was recorded live on 18th June, the day the Kindle edition of For Flourishing’s Sake was published.  The paperback will be published on Friday 21st August and the fourth panel will be going out live at 12.30pm UK time on the Happiness Speaker YouTube and Facebook pages and on my personal LinkedIn profile. Head over to the Book Launch Extravaganza page at forflourishingssake.com for full details of how to watch this event!

So, back to today’s replay of part one of panel 3.  I chaired the panel myself and the panellists were:

Ian Flintoff, Positive Psychology-based Education Coach/Consultant/Trainer at Affirm Consulting (UK)

Serdar Ferit, Co-CEO & Creative Director at Lyfta (Finland & UK)

Katrina Mankani, Director of Positive Education, Sunmarke School and Regent International School (Dubai, UAE)

Julie Goldstein, Principal at Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy (USA)

In this first half of the panel discussion, the panellists discussed their interpretation of positive education, character education and the role of wellbeing in education, particularly in relation to educating for good citizenship and promoting inclusion, diversity and social justice.

You can watch back all the panel video recordings here.  

-------------------------

If you have found this episode useful, please give it a five star rating on iTunes to help it reach more people and please spread the word. Also, if you haven’t already, remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

For Flourishing’s Sake is available on iTunes / Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Deezer.

The book, by the same name, came out on Kindle on 18th June and will be out on paperback on 21st August. You’ll find it on all major online book retailer sites.  It’s jam-packed with evidence-based strategies for whole school positive education with case study examples from a wide range of schools from around the world. So why not order your Kindle copy now, or pre-order your paperback so you’ll receive it as soon as it’s published?

If you’d like to get in touch with questions or comments, or to contribute to a future episode, please contact me via Twitter at @FlourishingED.  You can also leave comments on individual episode pages right here at www.forflourishingssake.com (see bottom of this page).

I look forward to hearing from you, and until next time, For Flourishing’s Sake, have a great week!

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

Welcome to Episode 50.

This is the fourth of the extended podcast episodes over the next few weeks, where you will be able to listen to the replays of the For Flourishing’s Sake book launch events.

Today, I bring you the second half of the second panel discussion of the book launch extravaganza.  This panel was recorded live on 18th June, the day the Kindle edition of For Flourishing’s Sake was published.

I chaired the panel myself and the panellists were:

Flora Barton, Headteacher, Crowmarsh Gifford Church of England Primary School

Kelly Hannaghan, Mental Health and Wellbeing Consultant

Patrick Ottley-O’Connor, Education Consultant, Leadership Coach and Headteacher.  Executive Principal at North Liverpool Academy.

Rebecca Tigue, Head of School, University of Birmingham School

In this second half of the panel discussion, the panellists discussed what their interpretation of a whole school approach to character and positive education is, then moved onto an interesting discussion about how we “catch” character and wellbeing behaviours, before moving on to a fascinating conversation about how we bring people on board that don’t understand what we’re trying to do. We closed the panel with each panellist sharing their hopes and dreams for the future of education.

You can watch back all the panel video recordings here. The final panel discussion will take place on 21st August - the day of the For Flourishing’s Sake paperback publication - at 12.30pm BST.

-------------------------

If you have found this episode useful, please give it a five star rating on iTunes to help it reach more people and please spread the word. Also, if you haven’t already, remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

For Flourishing’s Sake is available on iTunes / Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Deezer.

The book, by the same name, came out on Kindle on 18th June and will be out on paperback on 21st August. You’ll find it on all major online book retailer sites.  It’s jam-packed with evidence-based strategies for whole school positive education with case study examples from a wide range of schools from around the world. So why not order your Kindle copy now, or pre-order your paperback so you’ll receive it as soon as it’s published?

If you’d like to get in touch with questions or comments, or to contribute to a future episode, please contact me via Twitter at @FlourishingED.  You can also leave comments on individual episode pages right here at www.forflourishingssake.com (see bottom of this page).

I look forward to hearing from you, and until next time, For Flourishing’s Sake, have a great week!

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

Welcome to Episode 49.

This is the third of the extended podcast episodes over the next few weeks, where you will be able to listen to the replays of the For Flourishing’s Sake book launch events.

Today, I bring you the first half of the second panel discussion of the book launch extravaganza.  This panel was recorded live on 18th June, the day the Kindle edition of For Flourishing’s Sake was published.

I chaired the panel myself and the panellists were:

Flora Barton, Headteacher, Crowmarsh Gifford Church of England Primary School

Kelly Hannaghan, Mental Health and Wellbeing Consultant

Patrick Ottley-O’Connor, Education Consultant, Leadership Coach and Headteacher.  Executive Principal at North Liverpool Academy.

Rebecca Tigue, Head of School, University of Birmingham School

In this first half of the panel discussion, the panellists shared their definitions of positive education, character education or wellbeing in education, exploring also the different terminology used to describe many of our and their shared goals. They quickly moved on to some concrete examples of implementation in their schools, from specific staff wellbeing initiatives and their impacts, to whole school approaches and their effects on the entire school community, including parents.

You can watch back all the panel video recordings here. The final panel discussion will take place on 21st August - the day of the For Flourishing’s Sake paperback publication - at 12.30pm BST.

-------------------------

If you have found this episode useful, please give it a five star rating on iTunes to help it reach more people and please spread the word. Also, if you haven’t already, remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

For Flourishing’s Sake is available on iTunes / Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Deezer.

The book, by the same name, came out on Kindle on 18th June and will be out on paperback on 21st August. You’ll find it on all major online book retailer sites.  It’s jam-packed with evidence-based strategies for whole school positive education with case study examples from a wide range of schools from around the world. So why not order your Kindle copy now, or pre-order your paperback so you’ll receive it as soon as it’s published?

If you’d like to get in touch with questions or comments, or to contribute to a future episode, please contact me via Twitter at @FlourishingED.  You can also leave comments on individual episode pages right here at www.forflourishingssake.com (see bottom of this page).

I look forward to hearing from you, and until next time, For Flourishing’s Sake, have a great week!

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

Welcome to Episode 48.

This is the second of the extended podcast episodes over the next few weeks, where you will be able to listen to the replays of the For Flourishing’s Sake book launch events.

Today, I bring you the second half of the first panel discussion of the book launch extravaganza.  This panel was recorded live on 18th June, the day the Kindle edition of For Flourishing’s Sake was published.

The panel was chaired by Adele Bates, Education and Behaviour Specialist from the UK and featured the following panellists:

Fabian de Fabiani, Assistant Headteacher at Townley Grammar School and Director of Character at the Odyssey Trust for Education.  Fabian is also a policy advisor for the UK Government’s schools inspection body in England, and a Keynote Speaker.

Rebecca Comizio, School Psychologist at New Canaan Country School in Connecticut, USA.

Rhiannon McGee, Head of Positive Education at Geelong Grammar School in Australia

and Elke Paul, Positive Education Consultant, Professional Development Expert and Wellbeing Conference Organiser with IPEN.  Elke is based in Germany.

In this second half of the panel discussion, the panellists continue to explore the ‘how’ of Positive Education.  Listen over the next half hour or so as they discuss the importance of putting teacher wellbeing first, and of having a shared language for wellbeing in schools.  Topics such as the role of Appreciative Inquiry processes and teacher-led Action Research are also touched upon to support empowering staff and creating lasting change. The issue of cost is also discussed, and finally the panellists address the role of Positive Education in the context of Covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement.

You can watch back all the panel video recordings here. The final panel discussion will take place on 21st August - the day of the For Flourishing’s Sake paperback publication - at 12.30pm BST.

-------------------------

If you have found this episode useful, please give it a five star rating on iTunes to help it reach more people and please spread the word. Also, if you haven’t already, remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

For Flourishing’s Sake is available on iTunes / Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Deezer.

The book, by the same name, came out on Kindle on 18th June and will be out on paperback on 21st August. You’ll find it on all major online book retailer sites.  It’s jam-packed with evidence-based strategies for whole school positive education with case study examples from a wide range of schools from around the world. So why not order your Kindle copy now, or pre-order your paperback so you’ll receive it as soon as it’s published?

If you’d like to get in touch with questions or comments, or to contribute to a future episode, please contact me via Twitter at @FlourishingED.  You can also leave comments on individual episode pages right here at www.forflourishingssake.com (see bottom of this page).

I look forward to hearing from you, and until next time, For Flourishing’s Sake, have a great week!

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

Welcome to Episode 47.

Looking at the countries where most listeners to this podcast are from, I think most of you are now on a well-earned, much-needed summer holiday break.  With that in mind, over the coming weeks, I am bringing you some extended podcast episodes, where you will be able to listen to the replays of the For Flourishing’s Sake book launch events.

Today, I bring you the first half of the first panel discussion of the book launch extravaganza.  This panel was recorded live on 18th June, the day the Kindle edition of For Flourishing’s Sake was published.

The panel was chaired by Adele Bates, Education and Behaviour Specialist from the UK and featured the following panellists:

Fabian de Fabiani, Assistant Headteacher at Townley Grammar School and Director of Character at the Odyssey Trust for Education.  Fabian is also a policy advisor for the UK Government’s schools inspection body in England, and a Keynote Speaker.

Rebecca Comizio, School Psychologist at New Canaan Country School in Connecticut, USA.

Rhiannon McGee, Head of Positive Education at Geelong Grammar School in Australia

and Elke Paul, Positive Education Consultant, Professional Development Expert and Wellbeing Conference Organiser with IPEN.  Elke is based in Germany.

In the first half of this panel discussion, they begin to address the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ of Positive Education.  They share their thoughts on what Positive and Character Education are, give tangible, practical examples of implementation in their schools and share tips on how to instigate culture change and embed these approaches to education.

I have cut out my introduction to the panel discussion and gone straight to Adele as she introduces herself and the panel.

You can watch back all the panel video recordings here. The final panel discussion will take place on 21st August - the day of the For Flourishing’s Sake paperback publication - at 12.30pm BST.

-------------------------

If you have found this episode useful, please give it a five star rating on iTunes to help it reach more people and please spread the word. Also, if you haven’t already, remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

For Flourishing’s Sake is available on iTunes / Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Deezer.

The book, by the same name, came out on Kindle on 18th June and will be out on paperback on 21st August. You’ll find it on all major online book retailer sites.  It’s jam-packed with evidence-based strategies for whole school positive education with case study examples from a wide range of schools from around the world. So why not order your Kindle copy now, or pre-order your paperback so you’ll receive it as soon as it’s published?

If you’d like to get in touch with questions or comments, or to contribute to a future episode, please contact me via Twitter at @FlourishingED.  You can also leave comments on individual episode pages right here at www.forflourishingssake.com (see bottom of this page).

I look forward to hearing from you, and until next time, For Flourishing’s Sake, have a great week!

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

Welcome to Episode 46.

As I write and record this week’s episode and think about the phrase “the greater good” in the title, I can’t help being momentarily distracted and chuckling to myself.  If you’ve seen the dark comedy film Hot Fuzz, you’ll know what I mean.  If not…I recommend it, and until you’ve watched it, just ignore me laughing to myself for a moment as I remember how the phrase “the greater good” (spoiler alert!) was used in the film!

My inspiration for today’s topic, however, comes from reading two articles recently that talked quite negatively about the origins of Positive Psychology as a pretty selfish endeavour focused purely on individual wellbeing. In her article for The Conversation, researcher Emma Anderson describes two views of happiness - one focusing on strong societal bonds and interdependence leading to state welfare provisions, and another, which she has found in her research to be more common, being an individualistic view of “working on one’s happiness”.  Emma cites growing criticisms of Positive Psychology, which seems to negate social injustices, poverty, exploitation etc and essentially blame the victims because they’re not putting in the effort to be happy.

I get this.  My very first essay for my Masters in Applied Positive Psychology was about the criticisms of this field and there is some validity in accusing Positive Psychology of elitism, though I would also argue that even from its inception, the proponents of Positive Psychology such as Martin Seligman talked about societal flourishing, so perhaps the issue has been more in interpretation than design. 

That said, the second article related to this criticism that I’ve read in the last week was a research paper by Michael Hogan, published very recently, in May this year. In this paper, he cites the models of what’s known as “second wave Positive Psychology”, in which there is much more focus on collaboration towards collective wellbeing, and where negative emotions such as anger and sadness can drive societal transformation.  Emma Anderson’s article does, in fact, end with an expression of hope that, as we return to some kind of normality, we also retain our “renewed sense of community and activism” and that our “more outward-looking version of wellbeing continues and thrives”.

I hope that, too, and I firmly believe that schools and our education system as a whole have a large role to play in this. When I developed my “LeAF - Learn and Flourish” (1) model of whole school positive education, I looked at many models around the world and the most comprehensive ones included elements of schools supporting their local communities and encouraging good citizenship in their students.  Character Education, which forms a significant element of Positive Education, also encourages the development of strengths and virtues that make us far more focused on the collective greater good than merely on ourselves.  Collaboration features highly in my model of whole school Positive Education as stakeholder engagement at every level is essential for such an approach to be truly comprehensive and effective. I know that, for my part, and all the people I have worked and studied with in the field of Positive Psychology, this field has never been about a selfish drive for hedonistic happiness, but rather a focus on eudaimonia, which has much broader societal connotations.

As individuals, we have limited control and influence over national policy, though of course those of us lucky enough to have a democratic voice through voting in elections have some level of influence that way.  Additionally we have seen, particularly recently, the power of peaceful protest. But as educators, we have a huge opportunity to shape a better, more collaborative and altruistic world. We can start by creating schools where these values are strong. We can demonstrate these values in our interactions with our colleagues, our students, their parents and the wider community.  We can ensure our schools’ policies foster these values and that these are reflected in those schools’ cultures.

In my book, For Flourishing’s Sake, I give plenty of examples of how teachers and school leaders have done this in a wide range of educational settings.  It can be done, and if we start in schools, we’re laying the foundations for the future.  So as you plan for the next academic year, or as you go to work in school today if your school is currently open, consider the small steps you can take as an individual to support a more collaborative and supportive culture within your school. It can start with something as simple as a smile and a small act of kindness. What seed will you plant today for a flourishing tomorrow?

-------------------------

If you have found this episode useful, please give it a five star rating on iTunes to help it reach more people and please spread the word. Also, if you haven’t already, remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

For Flourishing’s Sake is available on iTunes / Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Deezer.

The book, by the same name, came out on Kindle on 18th June and will be out on paperback on 21st August. You’ll find it on all major online book retailer sites.  It’s jam-packed with evidence-based strategies for whole school positive education with case study examples from a wide range of schools from around the world. So why not order your Kindle copy now, or pre-order your paperback so you’ll receive it as soon as it’s published?

If you’d like to get in touch with questions or comments, or to contribute to a future episode, please contact me via Twitter at @FlourishingED.  You can also leave comments on individual episode pages right here at www.forflourishingssake.com (see bottom of this page).

I look forward to hearing from you, and until next time, For Flourishing’s Sake, have a great week!

References

• Roberts, F. (2019) LeAF: The Learn and Flourish Model and Self-Evaluation Framework for Whole School Positive Education. Unpublished manuscript, Anglia Ruskin University.

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

Welcome to Episode 45.

Nearly four months after the UK - where I live - went into lockdown due to Covid-19, and as last week more businesses, such as hairdressers and pubs, have been allowed to re-open and plans for the full re-opening of schools in September were announced, my levels of fear are higher than ever.  Higher, even, than when a global pandemic was declared and I realised this was serious. As more people resume their previous routines with some semblance of normality, I feel less in control of my own and my family’s safety on the rare occasions we need to venture into public enclosed spaces, such as shops and pharmacies, for essentials.  This fear, I know, is not something I am unique in experiencing, though everyone experiences it uniquely and at different levels.

Fear is a powerful emotion.  It is one of the six basic emotions identified by Ekman in 1999 (1). It is an essential emotion as, without it, we would struggle to stay alive. We need fear to alert us to danger and elicit the so-called ‘fight or flight’ response. It can also, quite commonly, cause a ‘freeze’ response, where we are incapable of doing anything. I am not a virologist or epidemiologist, so I am not going to dispense advice or opinion in this podcast on what we should each be doing with regard to Covid-19.  This is also not the place for political debate.  I would like to, however, share some of the ways you can deal with your own levels of fear so it does not become debilitating to the point where you cannot do your job or look after yourself or your loved ones.  One way or another, we need to be able to continue to function, despite the current situation, despite the fear.  This is something I’ve been working at increasingly hard for some time now and perhaps you have, too.  I’d like to offer you some positive psychology tools to help, for you and your children, so you can not only continue to function, but thrive and flourish, despite the fear.

In episodes 25 and 26 I mentioned the work of Barbara Fredrickson on positive emotions (2). According to her ‘broaden and build theory of positive emotions’, if we experience more positive than negative emotions, we can experience improved relationships, perceive and grab more opportunities, achieve more success in our personal and professional lives, and have more fun. We can experience ‘upward spirals of positive emotions’, where as a result of experiencing the ‘broaden and build’ benefits of positive emotions, we experience even more positive emotions, leading to more benefits, and so on.  Fear, of course, can be a positive emotion - think about the thrill of a fairground ride or a gripping thriller, for example (though of course those are not enjoyable thrills for everyone!). But in the context I started this episode with, of the global pandemic we are living with, for those of us that experience fear, we are experiencing it as a negative emotion.

Positive psychology does not advocate eliminating negative emotions.  All emotions are valid and serve a purpose. But we can improve our lives by not letting those emotions take over and generating more positive emotions for ourselves to counteract the effects of those negative emotions. All of the interventions and activities I have mentioned in past episodes do this to some extent. Last week, I suggested self-kindness bingo, for example, as a way to do activities you enjoy for 30 days.  Last year, in episode 9, I shared the importance of gratitude for wellbeing. In other episodes we have explored savouring, curiosity, and a whole host of other wellbeing activities.

So my message in this episode is a simple one: Explore wellbeing activities that will boost your positive emotions. Make a list of as many of these as possible that you can do within whatever level of risk you are prepared to take and is allowed where you live with current restrictions in place. And ensure you do as many of these activities every day, every week, as possible.  These won’t make the fear go away, but they will reduce the impact of the fear on your wellbeing by bombarding you with feel-good hormones and allowing you to experience all the benefits Barbara Fredrickson talks about.

-------------------------

If you have found this episode useful, please give it a five star rating on iTunes to help it reach more people and please spread the word. Also, if you haven’t already, remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

For Flourishing’s Sake is available on iTunes / Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Deezer.

The book, by the same name, came out on Kindle on 18th June and will be out on paperback on 21st August. You’ll find it on all major online book retailer sites.  It’s jam-packed with evidence-based strategies for whole school positive education with case study examples from a wide range of schools from around the world. So why not order your Kindle copy now, or pre-order your paperback so you’ll receive it as soon as it’s published?

If you’d like to get in touch with questions or comments, or to contribute to a future episode, please contact me via Twitter at @FlourishingED.  You can also leave comments on individual episode pages right here at www.forflourishingssake.com (see bottom of this page).

I look forward to hearing from you, and until next time, For Flourishing’s Sake, have a great week!

References

(1) Ekman, P. (1999) ‘Basic Emotions’, in Dalgleish, T. and Power, M. (eds) Handbook of Cognition and Emotion. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Ltd., pp. 45–60.

(2) Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The Role of Positive Emotions in Positive Psychology: The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions. The American Psychologist, 56(3), 218–226. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.56.3.218

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5