As we head into the holiday season, it’s important to remember that this can be a difficult time for many people, and this year it is even more so. Many celebrations may look differently than they have in the past. The on-going pandemic presents not only physical health concerns, but impacts mental health in a wide-variety of ways. This week we’re diving into the science of happiness for concrete tools to help boost our mood and stay grounded!

Positive psychology is the study of what makes us feel happy and fulfilled. This branch of study tries to emphasize and build on the good things in life, rather than repairing the bad. In contrast with hedonism (pursuit of pleasure) which singularly focuses on pleasure and positive emotions, positive psychology focuses on Eudaimonia (“good spirit,” or happiness), which has more to do with one’s well-being and deeper satisfaction. Of course, no respected positive psychologist would tell you to think about, act out, and focus on ONLY the positive in life—balance is important.

Positive psychology also provides specific ways to approach building a happier life. “PERMA” is an acronym for the five facets of well-being as identified by positive psychology.

• Positive Emotions- Even though seeking positive emotions alone is not a very effective way to boost your well-being, experiencing positive emotion is still an important factor. Gratitude is one of the quickest ways to switch your brain into positive-feeling mode. Pick a specific time each day (when you wake up, when you get home from work, etc) to think of something you’re grateful for, even if it seems like a small thing, to help jump start your feel-good system!

• Engagement: Having a sense of engagement is an important piece of well-being. Sometimes this is described as a state of “flow” - a time period in which you are completely absorbed in the activity you’re doing and lose track of time. This might be a project at work, playing with your children, conversing with loved ones, reading a good book, or exercising. If you don’t have an activity in your life that makes you feel completely engaged, trying bringing more mindfulness to the activities you already do every day like making coffee or washing dishes.

• Relationships: Humans are social creatures, and we rely on connections with others to truly flourish. Having meaningful relationships with others is vital to our well-being. With everything going on this year, it’s easy to put relationships on the back burner, but our connections to others are more important than ever. We’re so fortunate to have so many different ways to connect with people, we just have to make it a priority. Whether it’s a 5 minute call with your grandma, a 30 minute walk-and-talk with a friend, or a virtual happy hour with a group, social connection will improve your mental and physical well-being.

• Meaning: Positive psychology operates on the principle that at our core, we want to be valued members of the group. When we dedicate ourselves to a cause or recognize something bigger than ourselves, we experience a sense of meaning that there is simply no replacement for. Random acts of kindness, volunteering and gift giving are all activities shown to boost happiness, health and reported life satisfaction. One way to find meaning during this time could be to reach out to elderly members of your community and have a phone call, an in-person chat (outdoors, and at least 6 feet away) or offer to get their groceries or run errands for them!

• Accomplishment / Achievement: We all thrive when we are succeeding, achieving our goals, and bettering ourselves. We often think of accomplishments as big life events that take a lot of time and energy to complete, but they don’t have to be. You can experience a sense of accomplishment every day by bringing your attention to the small things in life. Find a new sense of joy in things that may not seem significant. Maybe your accomplishment for the day is simply that you made the bed or put on ‘real’ clothes. Take a moment to celebrate that accomplishment — do a victory dance, give yourself a high five and a pat on the back. No amount of joy is too small! Accomplishment creates a positive feedback loop, meaning the more accomplished you feel, the more success you will have!

Ideally, there is a balance of all 5 facets, but some may be easier or more difficult for each of us. If you need a positive boost, try focusing on one of the areas you might not normally and see if you feel a bit better!