Paying attention to the positive aspects of life is a simple exercise that can lead to immediate and lasting change in mood. People tend to focus more on the negative, and while negative emotions are important for growth, this focus can be draining and impact wellbeing. Taking just 10 minutes a day to consciously acknowledge positive moments can help shift our mindset towards a more optimistic outlook. Even during difficult times, noticing the good can strengthen our ability to cope.
A great way to start is with the 3 Good Things exercise! At the end of the day, perhaps as you are getting into bed, you can:
1. Think about three things that went well for you today.
2. Write them down.
3. Reflect on each thing. How this make you feel at the time? How you feel about it now? Why you think this good thing happened?
Your 3 Good Things can be anything that brought you happiness – whether it’s a big success at work or a great cup of tea.
Practising 3 Good Things daily will bring the most benefits. To help make this a happy habit, you can pair it with a small but meaningful reward after each day of reflection. Over time, this simple exercise can help you focus on the positives, improving both mood and overall wellbeing.
3 Good Things in under a minute – YouTube @dr_emmaclaire
You can try this and other Positive Psychology activities with the Happy Habits Box.
Exam season is underway across the UK. If you’re sitting exams this summer, you might be feeling stressed and a bit overwhelmed as you try to prepare.
You’re not alone: stress is a normal part of the human experience, and this is a particularly challenging time. But there are ways you can manage this stress and maintain your wellbeing. Developing healthy habits to cope with stress will improve your psychological and emotional wellbeing, and ultimately support your academic achievements.
Here are seven tips that you might find helpful.
1. Take a breath
The first thing to do when experiencing stress in the moment is to take a deep breath.
When you start to feel stressed, your heart rate increases, your palms get sweaty and your blood pressure rises. If you take a few deep breaths when this feeling sets in, you can regulate your heart rate and the physical experience of stress can be reduced. This can help focus your mind and create space to decide how to manage this stress.
Once you have taken a breath, there are other things you can do to help you feel less stressed.
Don’t write so many things on your to-do list that you feel anxious just looking at it. Think about what is realistically achievable in the time you have, and set goals for revision tasks that lead to steady progress. Don’t forget to factor in time for self-care, and remember to congratulate yourself on your achievements.
3. Take a break
No one can maintain complete focus on a task like revision forever. Over time, concentrating makes us feel tired and actually reduces our ability to complete a activity well. It can also mean we need more energy to complete our task to our usual standard, and increase the chance of mistakes.
So, taking regular breaks really will improve your ability to work hard. If it’s all getting too much, do something else for a bit.
4. Get active – and go outside
Regular physical activity is really important for improving wellbeing and reducing stress. This can be whatever suits you: go for a walk or a run, or take part in a sport you like. Don’t avoid it because you feel you should be revising instead.
If you can get outside to a local park to exercise, even better. My research with colleagues has shown that during the pandemic, even without the usual levels of social interaction and social support, the simple act of spending time in green spaces like parks had a positive impact on student wellbeing.
5. Find your people
Social connection is a really important source of wellbeing for young people. You might be chatting to friends online throughout the day, but lots of social media use may also have a negative impact on wellbeing. It’s important to maintain connections offline, too: organise hangouts with friends during revision periods, and enjoy time in other people’s company during your rest time.
Your regular breaks from revision are the perfect opportunity to bring some of these ideas together. Perhaps meet up with a friend for a walk in the park.
6. Make healthy choices
It might be tempting to reach for an energy drink so you can keep on revising late into the evening. But drinking energy drinks can lead to poorer academic performance – as can drinking alcohol and vaping.
Instead of an energy drink, just go for water or a nutritional alternative like a fruit smoothie. And instead of staying up late to revise, prioritise your sleep. Disrupted sleep can increase our experience of negative mood, in a similar way to experiencing jetlag – and getting a good amount of sleep is linked to doing better in exams.
7. One size doesn’t fit all
The tips here are backed up by evidence and are a good place to start when it comes to managing exam stress. But you should also think about what you know works well for you. Think about what makes you happy and helps to calm you down if you feel overwhelmed: maybe writing in a journal, or listening to a favourite album. Combining healthy habits and favourite activities is a recipe for success, both in terms of exam performance and stress management.
Sit, slow down and colour. It’s such a simple activity, but for many students, colouring in is a powerful way to ease stress and improve mental well-being. In public areas, libraries or private spaces, students can take the time to fill blank spaces with coloured pens or pencils, and let the repetitive motion and creativity calm their minds….
It isn’t intentional that my first post focusses on the negative! But this is where my mind has gone as a I reflect on a new year. ‘New Year New Me’ often focusses on bettering oneself through self-activation, autonomy and goal setting. But we need to be able to apply this to the entire spectrum of our experiences, and not just focus on the positive.
It is important to understand that negative emotions are not bad, but rather a natural part of the human experience. Wellbeing is not the absence of stress or distress, but the ability to cope with them1. Negative emotional experiences provide us with information about who we are, what we need, and what our boundaries are. Ignoring or suppressing these emotions can lead to negative changes in mental wellbeing.
Instead of trying to avoid negative emotions, it’s essential to learn how to manage and navigate them effectively. This can be done through techniques such as self-reflection, and seeking support from others. Successful self-care is about reflecting on who we are as individuals and what we need2. We can do this by understanding what we do to cope with negative emotions and experiences, what works, and what we need to change.
We do not have to be happy all the time, and it is ok and normal to feel sad, angry, or anxious. Acknowledging all our emotions is an opportunity to learn, grow, and lead a fulfilling life.
Butler, L. D., Mercer, K. A., McClain-Meeder, K., Horne, D. M., & Dudley, M. (2019). Six domains of self-care: Attending to the whole person. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 29(1), 107-124.
Emma Palmer-Cooper 