6 Positive Psychology Strategies for Thriving through COVID-19

How is it possible to thrive when we’re struggling to cope with our new “normal”? Different variations of this question keep popping up in recent conversations. I don’t know about you, but when I’m confronted with uncertainly and fear, I rely on knowledge and facts to help me overcome. Admittedly, for me that means digging into the positive psychology toolbox. For those of you not familiar with positive psychology:

“Positive psychology is the scientific study of optimal human functioning. It aims to discover and promote the factors that allow individuals and communities to thrive.”

Seligman, 2002

Since traditional psychology was based on a disease model – fixing what is wrong with people – the best that can be hoped for with this approach is getting to “neutral” or not being “sick”. Positive psychology, on the other hand, focuses on getting to “north of neutral” and enhancing the positive aspects of people’s lives. After all, just because someone is not depressed this does not mean that they are happy or fulfilled with their lives. Therefore, positive psychology focuses on enhancing well-being and flourishing. In doing so, it aims to create a more balanced psychology that encompasses the wholeness of the human experience.

Although positive psychology is a descriptive (rather than a prescriptive) science, I’ve found that leaning into its foundational elements (the PERMA-V model of wellbeing) has helped me cope and thrive through these tentative times and I hope it can do the same for you.

The PERMA-V model is comprised of:

• Positivity
• Engagement
• Relationships
• Meaning
• Accomplishment
• Vitality

While there are many intentional activities and strategies attached to each element of PERMA-V, I’d like to share a few specific ones – some to simply stay sane and others to thrive – that I’m currently employing…as well as a little acronym to help you remember them: F COVID! 😊

Focus on Gratitude (positivity)

Alas, the F doesn’t stand for what you may have thought it does…get your minds out of the gutter! 😊 While there are others that believe COVID might lead to a baby boom, the F in this case stands for focus on gratitude. I’ve written about the benefits of gratitude previously and it is certainly my top signature strength…one I lean on regularly. However, it’s understandable that now, more than ever, it may be a bit difficult to think that you have a lot that you “should” be grateful for and truly feel authentic gratitude.

Research indicates that “grateful people are more likely to attribute the positive things in their lives to external sources” (McCullough, Emmons & Tsang, 2002). So, when our external world has turned upside down, how can we be grateful? Start small. What are the little things that warm your heart? Is there anyone you may have been taking for granted? Is there anything that may have simply disappeared into your noisy world? Begin by tapping into all your primary senses:

• Sound - Birds chirping outside your window
• Sight – Your child’s warm smile
• Smell – Sweet scent of spring blossoms
• Taste – Delicious (or creatively pulled together) home cooked meal
• Touch – Soft feel of a fresh role of toilet paper 😊

How to practice this strategy: On a daily basis, stop to consider what you are grateful for. This can be done when you first wake up and/or when you’re going to sleep (or at any point during your day). Take a few minutes to focus on gratitude and recall a few things or people you are thankful for. And remember, appreciation intervention significantly boosts your immune system!

Conscious Meditation (engagement)

This has been one of the most impactful methodologies for me. As someone who has struggled with establishing a regular meditation practice – barely getting through a 5-minute guided meditation – in the past, I can now sit through at least 30 minutes daily (sometimes even 50 minutes on the weekend!) leveraging Vishen Lakhiani’s 6 Phase Meditation as a framework. Along the way, there were many myths about meditation that I had to dispel. The biggest one was that the goal of meditation is to empty your mind of all thoughts and distractions, or to create a state of bliss. Once I dismissed that myth, I was able to embrace meditation as an extremely practical tool.

Scientific studies have found a wide variety of physical and mental health benefits of meditation, including:

• Decreased stress and pain
• Reduced anxiety
• Better immune functions
• More self-awareness and empathy
• Greater alertness, self-esteem and self-regulation
• Increased quality of relationships
• And many more!

How to practice this strategy: On a daily basis, take a few moments to practice conscious meditation. Don’t worry if you cannot shut your mind off. Start small with these basic mindfulness practices and applications:

• 5:5:5 Breathing – taking 5 breaths, inhaling for 5 counts and exhaling for 5 counts brings the mind and body into a calmer state
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) – go through your body parts (from your toes to your head), alternating between squeezing and relaxing each muscle group
• Loving Kindness Meditation (LKM) – this practice of cultivating compassion and love in the heart calms the body and boosts your immune system as well as positivity. Learn more and get short scripts here.

Outdoor Time (vitality)

I feel very fortunate that there are many nature trails around Austin that provide opportunities to enjoy outdoor time. I cherish spending time in nature. It has an almost magical impact on my mood and is extremely relaxing. Of course, it’s all based on science.

Research indicates that “group walks in nature were associated with significantly lower depression, perceived stress, and negative affect, as well as enhanced positive affect and mental well-being” (Marselle, Irvine & Warber, 2014). So, whenever you have a chance try to spend a bit of time outside…even if it’s just to step out of your front door to look up at the sky.

How to practice this strategy: On a daily basis, stop to consider what you can do to increase vitality in your life. Whether that means going for a walk outdoors or doing a handful of squats while brushing your teeth or eating a healthy meal. While binging your favorite show might seem less overwhelming (I do it too!), taking a moment to engage your vitality will certainly do more to help you thrive in the long run.

Volunteer & Donate (meaning)

You may be thinking, is she crazy? What about social distancing? The great news is that many organizations have innovated to create virtual volunteer opportunities. For example, I spent a lovely Sunday afternoon with a group of high school students discussing go-to-market strategy and user personas for a project they were working on. It all comes down to engaging with your purpose. Purpose is “stable and generalizable intention to accomplish something that is at once meaningful to the self and leads to productive engagement with some aspect of the world beyond the self” (Damon, Menon & Bronk, 2003).

Research indicates that there are many benefits of purpose. Purpose impacts wellbeing by:

• Increasing physical (Parquart, 2002) and mental (Reker, et al., 1987) health
• Enhances resiliency and optimism (Compton, et al., 1996)
• Improves self-esteem (Steger, et al., 2006)

How to practice this strategy: Stop to reflect on how you can help others during these difficult times…even if it’s just sharing a few inspiring messages with girls who aren’t able to attend their We Are Girls Conference. If you cannot identify safe volunteering opportunities, consider donating to worthy causes that are meaningful to you or ones that are helping those most at risk/need right now. You’d be amazed at the huge impact even a small donation can make (for example a $25 donation will help feed 2 NYC families for a month through City Harvest or provide 200 meals to neighbors in Austin through Central Texas Food Bank). If you are looking for some ideas, here are a few that I’ve contributed to recently:

• City Harvest and Central Texas Food Bank
• K9s For Warriors 
• Girls Empowerment Network
• Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center 
• Art from the Streets
• Blue Note New York Employee Support Fund and Health Alliance for Austin Musicians
• Coronavirus Relief Fund and Project C.U.R.E.

Incorporate Hope (accomplishment)

Incorporating hope may sound a bit “woo woo” but it’s a methodology that is extremely helpful during times like these. Much like gratitude, I’ve written about the benefits of hope previously and it is also another one of my top signature strengths. When we are faced with situations that seem out of our control our self-efficacy (having confidence to take on and put in the necessary effort to succeed at challenging tasks) takes a hit. A sense of hopefulness can help bolster it.

According to Peterson and Seligman (2004) hope and optimism predict many desirable outcomes, including:

• Achievement in all sorts of domains (academic, athletic, military, political, and vocational)
• Freedom from anxiety
• Good social relationships and physical well being

How to practice this strategy: Hope and optimism correlate with being more likely to actively problem solve and put attention on problem-relevant sources of information (Aspinwall & Brunhart, 1996). This is crucial for thriving in times when we feel that everything is out of our control. Take time to regularly revisit past experiences and successes as they are fertile ground for planting and growing seeds of hope (Lopez, et al., 2004). Ask yourself questions to direct your attention toward hopeful elements of stories and experiences. Here are some questions for accessing more hope:

• What is the best you could hope for in the current situation?
• What excites you about your current opportunities?
• What are your hopes for the future?
• What will motivate you to work towards your future goals?
• What do you hope for your family and friends?

Don’t Isolate (relationships)

Again, here the subject of responsible social distancing comes up. One way we can look at it is to practice physical distancing while embracing virtual social closeness. As someone who’s been working remotely for almost a decade, you’d think I’d be an expert at this. However, I was surprised to discover how much social distancing has impacted me. At the root of it all is isolation and loneliness.

An analysis of 148 studies of social support (Holt-Lunstad, Smith & Layton, 2010) suggests that social isolation increases the risk of death about as much as smoking cigarettes and more than either physical inactivity or obesity! Other research indicates that when people feel lonely, brain regions activate similar to that of physical pain. Loneliness prepares the body for some looming threat. (Leiberman, et al., 2004; Eisenberg, 2014; Eisenberg, Lieberman & Williams, 2003)

How to practice this strategy: On a daily basis, find ways to connect. Technological advances have provided us with many ways practice virtual social closeness. Here are a few activities that I’ve found very helpful:

• Virtual coffee breaks with coworkers
• Virtual happy hours and dinners with friends
• Virtual volunteering
• Regularly texting, calling or video chatting with family members
• Share funny memes and videos with friends and family

Here are some more activities you can do virtually and a bunch of my favorite ways that others have been practicing closeness across the world:

• Husband sings to wife through nursing home window
• Meeting great grandchild through glass
• Kids play music for elderly neighbor
• Italians making music on balconies
• 9-year old surprised by Hamilton cast
• The magic of Redwood National Park and virtual museum tours and #TogetherAtHome with Chris Martin and One World: Together At Home Broadcast and Andrea Bocelli: Amazing Grace and there are many many more!

As you can see among the strategies above, I heavily rely on human connection, nature, art, and music to thrive through these turbulent times. So, let me wrap up with a few lyrics from one of my favorite songs:

I see trees of green, red roses too

I see them bloom, for me and you

And I think to myself

What a wonderful world

I see skies of blue, and clouds of white

The bright blessed day, dark sacred night

And I think to myself

What a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky

Are also on the faces, of people going by

I see friends shaking hands, sayin', "How do you do?"

They're really sayin', "I love you"

I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow

They'll learn much more, than I'll ever know

And I think to myself

What a wonderful world

Yes, I think to myself

What a wonderful world

Oh yeah!

Thank you, Louis Armstrong, for that important reminder!

And thank YOU for taking the time today to learn more about these strategies to cope and thrive through turbulent times in general and COVID-19 specifically. I hope you’ve found the information in this article helpful. Of course, there are many other ways to thrive through our new “normal” …what are your favorites?

Be well and thrive!