How Positivity Causes You to Flourish: The 2 Minute Positivity Test
“Positivity presents an opportunity to step up to the next level of existence: to broaden your mind and build your best future.” ~Barbara Fredrickson
How Positivity Causes You to Flourish: The 2 Minute Positivity Test
We know that being negative often creates negative results and social experiences. But often the importance of a deliberate positive mindset and emotions gets lost in our everyday actions and interactions; we do not always realize that authentic positivity will conversely cause our lives to flourish.
In her book Positivity, Barbara Fredrickson reveals just how important positivity can be in our lives. She has discovered that there is a universal tipping point of positive experience for people and once we surpass that threshold we “flourish” and are able to live within an optimal range of human functioning. People who flourish experience goodness, generativity, growth, and resilience. Frederickson’s research at her Positivity Lab at the University of North Carolina has found that there must be at least 3 positive thoughts or experiences for every 1 negative in order to reach that tipping point and that the majority of people have a ratio of 2:1 or even less.
There are numerous studies on the benefits of positivity on health and well-being that support the importance of living beyond this positivity ratio. Studies done at the Mayo Clinic discovered that the health benefits of positive thinking include:
- Increased life span
- Lower rates of depression
- Lower levels of distress
- Greater resistance to the common cold
- Better psychological and physical well-being
- Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
- Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress
Once you start to see the amazing benefits of positivity you have to wonder, “Am I living my most positive life?” and “How can I know?” Dr. Fredrickson has created a simple tool so that you can test whether you are living beyond the positivity tipping point. It gives you a snapshot of where your positivity lies on any given day. Are you functioning above the average and making the most of your experience? Find out by taking the Positivity Self Test now.
Also, if you are wondering how to raise your positivity ratio then don’t miss my blogs titled A Simple Formula to Generate Positivity in Your Life and Workplace and How to Journal for Success.
Let us know what you discover, you may be surprised! I look forward to hearing what you find!
And if you find that you need any support in finding your authentic positivity and working on your ratio to start flourishing in your life, book your free session with me here.
Wishing you a very happy day!
Appreciatively,
Dr. Lynn K. Jones
P.S. Use this image to remind you to live your most positive life today!
Dr. Lynn K. Jones is a Board Certified Coach and an Advanced Certified Personal and Executive Coach based in Santa Barbara, California and a sought after coach and consultant for organizations and individuals across the US. Her doctoral work completed at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University concerned organizational culture; she coaches, consults and trains organizations on what they need to do to create organizational cultures that are aligned with their vision and values using a process of Appreciative Inquiry. She coaches individuals on achieving their reflected best selves. A MSW@USC faculty member, Dr. Lynn K. Jones, MSW, DSW, CSWM, teaches Human Behavior and Social Environment and Leadership to social work students at the University of Southern California.
Great blog post Lynn! I love the Positivity Ratio because it’s quick and easy and provides a before and after picture for anyone who might want to move toward a higher level of flourishing. It supports us to take some small actions and track progress over time. It’s very motivational.
PatriciaSchwartz Patricia, you make an excellent point that we only have to take SMALL actions to generate positivity. That makes raising our positivity ratio VERY doable!!
Appreciatively,
Lynn
I am currently facing a very challenging milestone in my career. I have found myself doubting and worrying about the outcome. After reading this I know that I have to go back to a practice that works. I know this from experience. It is being aware of every thought that is negative or doubtful and immediately neutralizing it with a positive thought or affirmation. This post was very helpful and I am reading it at a very good time…just when I needed this reminder. Thank You!
Starr Spa Training Wonderful! I am delighted that this helped you remember that generating positivity is a practice that you know from experience works!
Appreciatively,
Lynn
It’s amazing how far a little positivity can take you, let alone a lot! Not everyone is naturally a positive person, but taking hold of your thoughts and using a tangible goal, like making yourself have three positive thoughts for every negative one, is a great start to letting in more positivity and flourishing from it.
Calla Gold The wonderful thing about this research on positivity is that you don’t have to be a positive person to cultivate more positivity in your life. There are some pretty simple ways that have been shown to result in positivity and the key is noticing what is going well in your life. Thanks for commenting!
What a fun tool! I consider myself a positive person and was interesting to see I was right on the brink of the tipping point!
nicolettek OK… Just crank it up a notch and you will be flourishing!!
Thanks for taking the positivity test and reporting back in! 🙂
Appreciatively,
Lynn
Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress
3 positive thoughts to compensate for each negative – what a GREAT exercise. I am going to WORK on this one.
CindyFaithSwain Fabulous, Cindy! Let me know what your experience of creating a tipping point of positivity is!
Appreciatively,
Lynn