Dear MDECOE community,
“With vaccination rates on the rise, hope is in the air. But after more than a year of trauma, isolation and grief, how long will it take before life finally — finally — feels good?” states Dani Blum in her article in the Mind section of the New York Times titled “The Other Side of Languishing Is Flourishing. Here’s How to Get There.” According to Dani,
“Research shows that the pandemic took a toll on our overall well-being and left many of us are drained.…. A growing body of research shows that there are simple steps you can take to recharge your emotional batteries and spark a sense of fulfillment, purpose and happiness. The psychology community calls this lofty combination of physical, mental and emotional fitness flourishing. It is the exact opposite of languishing, that sense of stagnation Adam Grant wrote about recently in a different article in the New York Times.
- Assess yourself.-First, how do you know if you’re languishing, flourishing or somewhere in between? Simply asking yourself is an effective diagnostic tool, said Laurie Santos, a psychology professor at Yale who teaches a free 10-week course called “The Science of Well-Being.”
- Savor and celebrate small things.-After a year of Zoom birthday parties and virtual graduations, many of us want to revel in gathering together again. Celebrations help to create and cement relationships.
- Try “Sunday dinner gratitude.”-Some people expressed gratitude more during the pandemic, whether it was clapping for health care workers or thanking a grocery checkout person. But creating a weekly gratitude ritual can cement the habit. Numerous studies show that taking time to reflect on what we’re grateful for improves our quality of life.
- Do five good deeds.-Acts of kindness not only help others, they also can help you flourish. Research shows that performing five acts of kindness in a single day, once a week, can have a powerful effect. A 2004 study showed that when college students spent a day doing five acts of kindness — like donating blood, helping a friend with a paper or writing a thank you note to a former professor — they experienced more significant increases in well-being than those who spread out five kind things over the course of a week.
- Look for communities and connection.-Even a quick chat with a stranger or a momentary bond with someone new can foster a sense of fulfillment, particularly when what researchers call a high quality connection occurs.
- Find purpose in everyday routines.-What things do you look forward to each day? What gives your life meaning? Research has found that flourishing comes from daily routines, like working on a new skill or reaching out to thank the people you value in your life, and small moments of mastery, connection and meaning.
- Try something new- Most important for overall well-being, said Dr. Keyes, a professor of sociology at Emory University, is being interested in life; a sense of satisfaction or happiness tends to follow that. The pandemic has challenged us because we haven’t been able to pursue many of our previous interests, he said. “The first key to feeling good about life is to seek out new interests,” he said.
To read more, see the full article at:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/04/well/mind/flourishing-languishing.html
For a list of many self-care options, please see our COE self-care website for resources for faculty, staff, students, and the community at:
https://www.csun.edu/eisner-education/self-care/articles-information-self-care
My we all find ways to flourish in the days ahead.
Warmly,
Shari