Welcome to Module 3!
In this module, you will learn about a component of emotional well-being: positive emotions.
This module will take approximately 25 minutes to complete.
Welcome to Module 3 of Emotional Well-Being: The Science and Practice of Feeling Well! Before you dive in, make sure you’ve checked out Module 1. It gives you the big picture of how the series works and some helpful background on emotional well-being.
Now, let’s talk about Module 3. This one’s all about positive emotions like happiness, gratitude, and hope. We’ll explore how these feelings show up in everyday life and how they can help us feel better, do better, and connect better with others.
Think of this module as your guide to finding more of those “feel-good” moments and learning how to make them last a little longer. Ready to get started? Let’s go!
By the end of this module, you will be able to...
- Describe the connection between positive emotions and emotional well-being.
- Recognize how emotional goals can vary by culture and life stage.
- Identify opportunities to experience positive emotions.
We hope you enjoy learning about positive emotions and how they can make a difference in your life in this module!
Before you dive into this module, take a few minutes to watch a short video where people from different walks of life tell you about what brings them happiness.
We hope you enjoy learning about positive emotions and how they can make a difference in your life in this module!
Click to download the handout for this module. As you work through the content, there will be opportunities to engage with the material through reflections and activities. You can choose to print the handout or type directly on to it. There will also be a space to jot down notes and helpful resources.
Module 3 Handout
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Open in new tab Before jumping into the rest of this module, we invite you to take a short emotions check-in (about 5 minutes) using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS).
This quick 20-question survey helps you see how often you’ve been feeling different emotions. This includes both positive ones (like excited or inspired) and not-so-great ones (like upset or nervous).
Once you’re done, take a moment to jot down your scores in your Module 3 Handout. How are you doing in the positive and negative categories? There are no "good" or "bad" scores, this is just a helpful snapshot of where you are right now.
Were you surprised by your results?
Which category was higher than the other? Why do you think that is?
Next, take a moment to read this module's brief. As you go through this module, we invite you to jot down notes and resources on your handout.
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Objective 1
By the end of this section, you will be able to describe the connection between positive emotions and emotional well-being.
In this next section, you’ll learn how positive emotions like joy, gratitude, and hope aren’t just “nice to have.”
They actually play a big role in helping us feel better, think more clearly, and even stay healthier!
First, watch a short 5-minute video with Rick Hanson, PhD. Dr. Hanson will explain why positive emotions matter and how they can make a real difference in your everyday life.
Next, read a quick article (5-minute read) from the National Institutes of Health. It shows how positive emotions are linked to better physical health. If you explored Module 2, a lot of this information may sound familiar!
Take a moment to reflect.
Can you think of a recent situation where you could’ve looked at things more positively?
What might have changed if you had?
Note: There is a space in your handout to complete this activity.
Role of Positive Emotions
Emotions come in many forms. An easy way to think about our emotions is using the weather. We can think of our feelings as falling into three categories:
- Heavy, stormy feelings
- Mild, cloudy feelings
- Light, sunny feelings.
This comparison allows us to understand our different emotions and the roles they play in our lives. You can see an overview of this feelings forecast below.
To learn more about the Feelings Forecast, visit Feel Your Best Self.
If you’re having heavy and stormy feelings, you might feel sad, angry, worried, or frustrated. It’s normal to experience these feelings! If we want to move away from our heavy and stormy feelings, we can try a strategy such as deep breathing or helping others to shift towards feeling mild and cloudy or even light and sunny.
If you’re having mild, cloudy feelings, you might feel calm, focused, grateful, or bored. These feelings allow us to be productive and creative but also rest and recharge. We should aim to spend most of our time in this area so our bodies and minds can feel balanced.
If you’re having light and sunny feelings, you might feel happy, excited, proud, or confident. It’s important to find light and sunny moments every day to increase our positive emotions. However, light and sunny emotions can feel intense at times, and you may want to practice a strategy to release some energy and feel calmer.
Next, take a couple of minutes to watch a couple of graduate students (including the creators of this series, Kimmia and Lucie) talk about how they create positive emotions in their roles.
Objective 2
By the end of this section, you will be able to recognize how emotional goals can vary by culture and life stage.
It’s ideal to spend most of our time in the mild, cloudy and light, sunny areas. Yet, humans often spend a lot of time in the heavy, stormy area. This is because we are able to imagine and worry about bad things that might happen to us and be tough on ourselves for the past. However, embracing positive emotions can help us feel more light and sunny for three reasons:
- Maintaining physical health – when we experience positive emotions, our body is able to repair and protect itself. This can help us to maintain physical health and promotes a long life.
- Motivating us – positive emotions help us focus on what is going right (instead of focusing on what is wrong) and how we can maintain those positive feelings.
Bringing us together – we can be joined by positive emotions such as excitement when our favorite sports team wins or love when we spend time with family and friends.
Positive Emotions Through Culture and Life Stage
In this section, we’re going to look at how your background and your stage of life can shape the way you feel and express emotions. It’s pretty amazing how much our experiences, culture, and age can influence what we feel and how we show it!
First, read this article from Psychology Today (5-minute read) to learn how culture plays a big role in our emotional world. People from different cultures may feel similar emotions, but they often express them in different ways. This is a great chance to learn more about others, and maybe even see your own experiences in a new light!
Next, watch the first few minutes (00:00-03:15) of the video below to see how our emotions and emotional strengths change as we age. You’ll learn how growing older can actually bring emotional benefits like more calm, more patience, and a better sense of what really matters.
Then, read this article (5-minutes read) from Psychology Today on the Four C’s of successful aging. These four simple ideas can help guide how you think about your life, no matter how old you are. They’re great tools for building a life that feels meaningful and emotionally strong.
If you'd like to learn more about creating positive emotions in a family, read this summary of a scientific article that studied two types of positive psychology interventions for families.
As you go through this section, take some time to reflect on the following questions.
How has your culture shaped the way you feel or show emotions?
What emotional strengths have you gained as you’ve gotten older?
Which of the Four C’s could you focus on more in your own life?
Note: There is a space in your handout to complete this activity.
Before you move into the last section of this module, take a few minutes to listen to members of different families talk about how they create positive emotions in their family.
Objective 3
By the end of this section, you will be able to list six strategies for emotional health and identify opportunities to apply them to your practice.
In this part of Module 3, we’ll explore how doing small, positive things for yourself and for others can boost your happiness in a big way.
First, read this article from Psychology Today (4-minute read) on how to mindfully embrace positive experiences. You’ll learn simple ways to notice the good stuff, let it sink in, and build a habit of positivity. These tips are great additions to your Module 3 Handout and they’re easy to try in your daily life.
Give yourself credit for your accomplishments (even the small ones!)
Accept a compliment as a gift by saying "thank you".
Practice positive affirmations throughout the day by speaking or reading them.
Engage in experiences requiring you to be present and unplugged from devices.
Take a moment to plan.
Choose two tips that you can use to build positive habits.
Write down one way you can practice each tip. For example, write positive affirmations you can say to yourself every morning or plan a nature walk.
Plan how to incorporate these activities into your next week.
Note: There is a space in your handout to complete this activity.
For a deeper dive on happiness, check out this video that shares findings from the longest study on happiness (75 years!), and what researchers say is the real secret to a "good life".
As you go through this section, take some time to reflect on the following questions.
What’s one small thing you could do today to create a positive moment—for yourself or someone else?
Which strategies from the reading could you try this week?
How do your relationships affect your happiness?
Note: There is a space in your handout to complete this activity.
Congratulations!
You have completed Module 3.
By now, you should be able to...
- Describe the connection between positive emotions and emotional well-being.
- Recognize how emotional goals can vary by culture and life stage.
- Identify opportunities to experience positive emotions.