Prioritise Positivity

USE POSITIVITY THE RIGHT WAY 
AND 
INTENTIONALLY INFLUENCE YOUR HAPPINESS

SONIA LANCASTER
Director - Research and Development

INTRODUCTION

In this book we look at the term “prioritising positivity” and its relationship to experiencing happiness and enhancing our overall wellbeing.

Positive and negative events are elements of life - sometimes we can control them, and other times they seem to appear randomly with no warning signs.

The way we respond to these events can dramatically affect our mental and physical health. Importantly, the way we intentionally go about our daily lives can also significantly impact our overall wellbeing. 

Knowing all of this, the question is, how can you use positivity to influence your happiness and wellbeing? 

To help answer this, let's take a look at some of the research and strategies we can use.

What does the research say?

If we start by looking at happiness, something we all aspire to have, the 
search for happiness is described as 
‘a delicate art’.^[1].

If we look at happiness as the state of experiencing positive emotions (e.g. joy, love, interest, gratitude), there are specific strategies that can be used to cultivate happiness.

What is important is that not all of these strategies are created equal, and some are actually counterproductive.^{[1, 2]}

So let's look at what research has to say.

Research shows that when people are constantly paying attention to their level of happiness – happiness actually tends to decrease.

People who try to maximise 
their happiness during a 
positive event with high expectations in mind, or obsessively value happiness, end up with lower levels of 
happiness.^[1-3]

Research has shown that 
reflecting on a positive life experience can increase wellbeing BUT analysing a positive life experience can have the opposite effect.^[4]

There is a difference between analysing and reflecting 
and sometimes what appears to be the obvious choice, isn't necessarily the case!

Remember the infamous saying:

“It isn’t what you do, but how you do it.” - John Wooden

Prioritising Positivity 

Prioritising positivity refers to the extent to which individuals proactively structure 
their lives to have regular experiences of positivity.^[1]

While the choices that each of us make can differ quite significantly, the common thread is the tendency to seek out positivity in daily life. 

Research shows that people high in prioritising positivity gained some great benefits such as:^[5]

• They experienced more frequent positive emotions
• Fewer negative emotions
• Greater life satisfaction
• More flourishing; and
• They were less depressed

 
Well, positive emotions predict:

• How well people's immune system function
• Their job performance
• The strength of their social bonds

These are important factors for most, if not all, of us.^[6]

Two important tips worth remembering

Tip 1

While happiness is a priority for those people high in prioritizing positivity, it is not the only thing that they value, and they will tend to have other goals of importance.

Tip 2

Research supports that we can influence our own wellbeing through 
prioritising positivity and 
                      intentional actions.^[3]                                                             

Putting it into Practice

Now, think about your own life. 

Firstly…
Ask yourself and contemplate, when you recall positive life experiences that you've had, are you reflecting on them or analysing these events?

We now know that prioritising positivity, how we go about arranging our daily lives, can improve our happiness and wellbeing. 

So knowing this, consider how can you incorporate this into your life. 

Up for a Challenge?

In the next pages we've listed three activities for you to consider. 

Have a read through them and see which one resonates with you and start incorporating that activity into your daily life. 

Note: 
The aim of these activities is to help you prioritise positivity and experience it's benefits. 

Activity 1

Plan for positive moments that you enjoy – for example, if you enjoy going out for a walk in nature with friends, give them a call and organise it, or take some time to go for a walk with your pet.

Activity 2

Engage in practices designed to increase positivity – things like meditation, mindfulness, writing gratitude letters and practising acts of kindness. Think about positive things that really make you feel good!

Activity 3

‘Let go’ of high expectations that you self-impose– for example, if you are at a get together with friends, rather than regularly assessing whether you’re having a good time, instead have an attitude of acceptance.  

Final Thoughts

Once you have done these activities, it’s important to also allow yourself to be creative and come up with your own ways in which you can begin to prioritise positivity in your daily life. 

About the Author

A co-founder and Director of research and development at Iswara, Sonia Lancaster heads up the Research team in the development of Iswara’s wellbeing programs. With a background in behavioural ecology and Masters in Applied Positive Psychology, Sonia is driven to help people be mentally fit and live well.

As a lifelong meditation practitioner, combined with her strong research background, Sonia has a strong understanding of integrating theory with practices throughout Iswara's offerings to enable people from all walks of life to improve their overall wellbeing.

Disclaimer

This book is part of the Iswara Connect series and is published for the benefit of our readers and is for information and guideline purposes only, and does not constitute medical or health advice. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. 

References

1. Catalino, L.I., S.B. Algoe, and B.L. Fredrickson, Prioritizing positivity: an effective approach to pursuing happiness? Emotion, 2014. 14(6): p. 1155-61.

2. Datu, J.A.D. and R.B. King, Prioritizing positivity optimizes positive emotions and life satisfaction: A three-wave longitudinal study. Personality and Individual Differences, 2016. 96: p. 111-114.

3. Catalino, L.I. and W. Tov, Daily variation in prioritizing positivity and well-being. Emotion, 2022. 22(5): p. 874-879.

4. Lyubomirsky, S., L. Sousa, and R. Dickerhoof, The costs and benefits of writing, talking, and thinking about life's triumphs and defeats. J Pers Soc Psychol, 2006. 90(4): p. 692-708.

5. Littman-Ovadia, H. and P. Russo-Netzer, Prioritizing positivity across the adult lifespan: initial evidence for differential associations with positive and negative emotions. Quality of life research, 2019. 28(2): p. 411-420.

6. Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M., & Schkade, D. (2005). Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change. Review of General Psychology, 9, 111-131.