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Flourishing in Your LifeMary Sherman, LCSW, CEAP, CAPPwww.uvafeap.com mbs5n@Virginia.edu

Learning Objectives

• Participants will learn the PERMA-V model of Flourishing

• Participants will learn strategies to integrate flourishing into their lives

• Participants will identify 1-2 strategies they will start to integrate and a plan to start doing so after the class.

To flourish is to find fulfillment in our lives, accomplishing meaningful and worthwhile tasks, and connecting with others at a deeper level—in essence, living the “good life” (Seligman, 2011)

Poll Question

How well do you believe that you are currently flourishing in your life?

• Doing well, I am hoping to continue to add more ways to keep it up with this webinar

• For the most part doing okay, but wanting to find more ways to flourish in my life

• Could be doing better, wanting to use this to jump start some good flourishing ideas

Seligman (2002)

The Engaged Life- Frequent flow experiences

The Pleasant Life- Feel good experiences

Pleasant

The Meaningful Life- Experiences of purpose

Marty’s Models – Approaches to Happiness

Engaged

Meaningful

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Marty’s Models – Approaches to Happiness

Pleasant Engaged

Meaningful

Can be stand alone

Descriptive Science

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Marty’s ModelsFrom Happiness Flourishing

+ V VitalitySeligman, M. (2012). Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being. Free Press: NY.

“These five elements are the best approximation of what humans pursue for their own sake …. Although individuals may sometimes pursue these elements for other ends (e.g., they may for instance think that accomplishment will bring positive emotion), many choose to do so because these elements are intrinsically motivating by themselves” (p. 97)

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The V for Vitality (Physical Health and Wellness) was added by EmiliyaZhivotovskaya and Louis Alloro, founders of the Flourishing Center and Certified

Program in Applied Positive Psychology.

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https://www.stac.school.nz/why-stac/well-being-at-stac/perma-v/

Flourishing has been found to have the following impacts:

• Fewer missed days of works• Fewer half-days and work cutbacks• Lower helplessness• More clear life goals• Higher resilience• Higher intimacy• Lower risk of cardiovascular disease• Lower number of chronic physical diseases with age• Fewer health limitations of daily living activities• Lower health care utilization (Keyes, 2007)

https://positivepsychology.com/flourishing/

POSITIVITY• Positive and negative affect• Interventions for increasing

positivity• Mindset and resilience training• Optimistic thinking skills• Neuroscience and evolutionary

theory

Flourishing- 6 Modules

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Positivity

• Not mean smiling all the time• Creating opportunities for positive

emotions• Gratitude• Mindset

Poll QuestionWhich of these are benefits to a Gratitude practice:• Improves Physical Health• Social Connection• Increases Empathy and Compassion• Lessens Anxiety and Depression• All of the above

Dr. Alia Crum

Change your Mindset, Change the Game

- You can make significant changes solely by changing your mindset

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ENGAGEMENT• Willpower and self-regulation• Mindfulness training• Savoring• Strengths• Flow and peak performance• Choice and decision making

Flourishing- 6 Modules

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Via Character Strengths Survey – take the free survey

Engagement

• Kindness highest strength and use in office. People like you more improves overall well-being

• Take something don’t like doing and use highest strength

• Do mindfulness training – lots of ways, eM life, mbsr classes through uva mindfulness center, uva contemplative sciences center, uvacompassionate care initiative, feap mindfulness coaching

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RELATIONSHIPS• Thriving relationships• Love• Kindness and altruism• Appreciative inquiry• Transforming negative

dynamics• Non-violent communication• Social-emotional leadership

Flourishing- 6 Modules

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Active Constructive Responsehttps://gostrengths.com/what-is-active-and-constructive-responding/

Relationships

• Who is important in your life and are you spending the time you want nourishing those relationships?

• Kindness and Altruism

Kindness makes you more happy

Kindness makes you more healthy

Researchers have found that 95% of people experience an increase in happiness and self-confidence after completing a single act of kindness, and 81% of people can feel the “helper’s high” for days on end.

In a 2006 study, it was discovered that people who volunteer help for others had not just better cardiovascular health but even lower mortality rate for the elderly. Yes, kindness literally improves your heart!

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Kindness makes you more attractive

Kindness makes you more money

A study of over 10,000 people from 33 countries discovered that kindness was directly influential to how attractive someone of the opposite sex was perceived.

Happier co-workers improve workplace productivity, and teams that focus ona greater purpose experience significant increases in motivation, cooperation, and efficiency.

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Poll QuestionWhat percentage of people who volunteer agree that volunteering enriches my sense of purpose in my life?• 25%• 57%• 68%• 92%

• 25% of volunteers do so through their employer

• 76% feel better about their employer as a result.

Rowland, A. Altruism Matters: How Volunteerism ImprovesEmployee Health. AHA/ Health Forum Webinar, 7/18/19, citing “Do Good Live Well Study” data

•…makes people happier.’’96%

•…has made me feel physically healthier’’ 68%

•…enriches my sense of purpose in life’’ 92%

•…has improved my sense of well-being” 89%

•…lowers my stress levels’’73%

•…improves emotional health’’ 77% •…helps with recovery from loss and

disappointment.’’78%

Try to guess the percentage of volunteers who agree that “Volunteering…

Guessing Game

MEANING• Purpose and passion• Work as calling• Awe and transcendence• Neurobiology of belief• A spiritual search for the sacred

Flourishing- 6 Modules

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Meaning

• Belonging to and serving something that you think is bigger than yourself

• Amy Wrzesniewski: Creating Meaning at Work “… that’s not part of my job. But that is part of me.”

• Job crafting – how ees redesign their jobs to foster engagement, job satisfaction, resilience and thriving – berg, wrzesniewski & Dutton 2010

• Connecting with how we matter in our lives– how we add value; who matters to you?

• What gives you meaning in your life?

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ACHIEVEMENT• Hope theory• Change theory• Self-determination and motivation• Goal setting and meeting• Coaching and accountability• Visualization• Habit and ritual• Grit and perseverance

Flourishing - 6 Modules

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Achievement

• Angela Duckworth Grit: The power of passion and perseverance

• Cultivate a growth mindset• What is a goal you can create for yourself to

help you flourish in your life?• What are the daily habits you want to

cultivate in your life? One by Nine

VITALITY• Sleep• Bodily alignment• Psycho-somatic principle• Somato-psychic principles• Stress versus calm• Physical activity• Nutrition• Aging well

Flourishing - 6 Modules

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Poll Question

What area of PERMA-V do you feel you are doing best in now?• Positivity• Engagement• Relationships• Meaning• Achievement• Vitality

Ways to measure Flourishing

• PERMA-Profiler from Butler and Kern 2016• The Flourishing scale by Ed Diener and

Robert Biswas-Diener 2009

• What activities can you commit to in order to flourish more in your life?

• What is your plan to start?

Summary PERMA-V Activities

• Positivity – Gratitude & Mindset• Engagement – VIA Strengths and how can I use

them more; Mindfulness Training• Relationships – Use Active Constructive

Responses; Nourish important relationships, Kindness & Altruism

• Meaning – Job crafting/meaning at work; Reflection on how we matter in our lives

• Achievement – Grit & Growth Mindset• Vitality – Sleep, Eating Healthy, Exercise

Poll QuestionWhich part of PERMA-V do you plan to focus on to help increase flourishing in your life:• Positivity• Engagement• Relationships• Meaning• Achievement• Vitality co

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Flourishing Resources• The Faculty and Employee Assistance Program –

www.uvafeap.com• UVA Hoos Well• The UVA Mindfulness Center• The UVA Contemplative Sciences Center• The UVA Compassionate Care Initiative• Authentic Happiness – University of Pennsylvania• Alia Crum tedtalk: Change your Mindset, Change the Game• Via Character Strengths Survey• Amy Wrzesniewski: Creating Meaning at Work• Angela Duckworth Grit: The power of passion and perseverance

Resources for Gratitude

• The Benefits of Gratitude: 28 Questions Answered Thanks to Gratitude Research

• 14 Health Benefits of Practicing Gratitude According to Science

• Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley

Resources for Kindness

• www.randomactsofkindness.org• http://www.onekindness.org/kindness-

ideas.html• Ted Talk: The Life-Changing Magic of

Kindness• Life Vest- Inside Kindness Boomerang –

“One Day”• Try Something New for 30 Days