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Contributing author: Dr. Oneeka Williams
Our nation is currently struggling with loss and disruption due to a novel global COVID-19 pandemic as well as a resurgence of intractable racial conflict; therefore, engaging in a deliberate practice of positivity may be challenging.
COVID-19 is not just an attack on our bodies but even more so on our minds. We have been advised on strategies to protect our bodies from the spread of the virus, but what are we doing to protect our minds? Most of us have never lived through a global crisis of this magnitude. However, many of us have experienced moments of crisis during which we experience uncertainty, fear, shattered expectations, and loss of control.
For me, as a Black female surgeon, misogynistic and racially discriminatory treatment, along with health challenges and multiple pregnancy losses, have resulted in similar emotional crisis responses. Survival during these times of crises has depended on discovering methods to maintain emotional and mental health balance. Therefore, I developed a practice of positivity to achieve psychological equilibrium—which, given the nation’s circumstances, is needed now more than ever.
Positive attitudes can lower your stress, reduce rates of depression, and extend your life. According to one Stanford University study, students who have a more positive attitude toward their studies show cognitive improvements. Positive teams are more productive in the workplace and positivity gives individuals an edge when they are playing their favorite sport.
Positivity requires work! It is active, dynamic, and interactive and brings us to a central set of principles that guide how we wrestle with difficult situations in our lives and emerge feeling empowered. While half of us are born with these positive tendencies, the other half of us can work to develop them. We can equip ourselves with a set of tools that allows us to access the natural resilient forces in our lives.
Sometimes attaining a habit of positivity seems out of reach. However, as it is integral to a healthy life, we must leap up and grab the reins. This can be achieved by breaking the concept of positivity down into simple practices that, if applied consistently, become increasingly easier to apply and master.
When I wrestled with moments of crisis throughout my life, I have had to personalize my positivity champion to help me in battle. Therefore, I created a character, in a book series: Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo, Girl Super Surgeon, who lives on the Island of Positivity to distill 5 Habits of Positivity into simple practices for adults and children. Practicing the 5 Habits of Positivity, listed below, will equip us all with the skills needed to effectively manage moments of incredible crisis in their lives.
Habit #1 is focused on finding solutions. To put it simply, there is always a solution to your problems. Solving problems require faith, hard work, and determination. When you adopt a solutions-first mindset, you feel empowered. When you identify solutions, it stimulates more positivity and helps you develop grit, which is valuable as you encounter obstacles.
Habit #2 centers on converting a limit into an opportunity. Most of us surrender in the face of limits. It’s easy to get discouraged and to let that disappointment simmer in our brains. However, viewing limits as opportunities to grow or access resources, transforms resistance into positivity.
Habit #3 is to keep the positive and discard the negative. Through this habit, you can spend more time on the wins and other positives. We can never avoid negative events or situations in our lives, but if we apply the laws of nature—like "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction," we can focus on finding and keeping the silver lining. Negativity will eventually erode one’s sense of well-being, so it is best to process it and then release it.
Habit #4 is linking our purpose to caring for others. Tying our life’s purpose to helping others contributes to our happiness and even improves our health.
Finally, Habit #5 is to be thankful and believe. Gratitude offers a wealth of benefits. In the busyness of our day-to-day lives, it’s easy to forget about what we have. Gratitude displaces negative emotions and brings us into contact with the blessings in our lives.
Developing daily disciplines is required for any successful venture. Positivity is no different. In this time of unprecedented and profound collective loss and disruption, we must protect our mental health by being very intentional. Incorporating the 5 Habits of Positivity into your life and the lives of the children you care for will ensure that you not only survive but thrive during times of crisis.
Dr. Oneeka Williams is a practicing surgeon and the author of the children’s book series, Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo.
References
Carver, S.C., Scheier, M.F., & Segerstrom, S.C. (2010). Optimism. Clinical Psychology Review, 30, 879-889.
Hernandez, R., Kershaw, K.N., Siddique, J., Boehm, J.K., Kubzansky, L.D., Diez-Roux, A., Ning, H., & Lloyd-Jones, D.M. (2015). Optimism and Cardiovascular Health: Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Health behavior and policy review, 2(1), 62-73.
Seligman, M. E. P. (1991). Learned Optimism. New York: Knopf.
Seppala, E. (2015). Positive Teams Are More Productive. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2015/03/positive-teams-are-more-productive
