Positive Psychology Homeworks

Week 1:
Select one of the ten positive emotions described in Video 1.3 and reflect on the people
and situations that serve as springboards of this pleasant state for you.
Then, pull together a personalized set of objects and mementos that create for you a
heartfelt connection to this one emotion. Assemble these into a portfolio, a physical collection
that you build as a shrine to this one positive emotion. Your portfolio might contain photos,
letters, songs, quotes, or objects that carry deep personal meaning for you. Get concrete here.
Your goal is to create a new fusion of personal artifacts, personalized triggers that revive your
heart with positivity each time you engage with them. You might store your portfolio in a simple
file folder or box. If it appeals to you, you might create a small scrapbook or a new folder of
images on your smart phone. Dont rush the process. Savor it and enjoy. Others have found this
activity to be deeply rewarding and uplifting. Dont miss out! Once youve created your own
personalized Positivity Portfolio, reflect on the process. Did making it spark any positive emotions
in you? If you slow down and mindfully engage with the artifacts in your portfolio, can you
generate the targeted emotion?

emotions
JOY
GRATITUD
E
SERENITY
INTEREST
HOPE
PRIDE
AMUSEME
NT
INSPIRATI
ON
AWE
LOVE

APPRAISAL
safe,familiar,progress
receive altruistic gift

TENDENCY
play
give creatively

Safe,certain,low
effort
Safe,novel,mysteriou
s
Fear the worst,yearn
for better
Socially valued
achievement
Nonserious social
incongruity
Witness human
excellence
Overwhelmed by
greatness
Positive emotions,in
connection

Savor & integrate

OUTCOME
acquire skills
social bonds,skills for
loving
Modify self&workd views

explore

Gain knowledge,energy

Be inventive

Increased resilience

Dream big

Further achievements

Share laughter
,insights
Aspire to excellence

Build friendship,creativity

Accomodate the
new
Play,explore,savor,d
ream

Self as part of a larger

whole
Trust,bonds,community,he
alts

Gain skill&morality

Week2
We all face trying or aversive circumstances from time to time. Maybe it seems like youve
just been slighted, ignored, or devalued. Maybe youre feeling overwhelmed and behind
schedule. Or maybe the situation you find yourself in seems altogether hopeless. These are the
kinds of circumstances that can tempt you to catastrophize and slip into a downward spiral of
anger, anxiety, or despair. This week, when you feel the first tug of a downward spiral, pull out
the Positivity Portfolio that you created last week. Engage with it mindfully, with an open heart.
Keep a light mental touch. Theres no need to analyze anything. Just see if you can use your
portfolio to put the brakes on the downward slide and bounce back. Ask yourself: What can you
do right now to cultivate this positive feeling? Once youve found an opportunity in your daily life

to do this activity, reflect on the process. Did using your Positivity Portfolio in this way make a
difference? What might you change either in the portfolio or in the way you engage with it to
make this activity an even more effective resilience tool?

Week 3
To take the Positivity Self Test that was referenced in the video lectures, go to
http://www.positivityratio.com/single.php and follow the instructions on the page.
While living your life as usual, take the Positivity Self Test nightly, across 3 consecutive
evenings. After 3 days, compute your average positivity ratio. Before the 4th day, identify 1 or 2
practices that might reduce negativity in your daily life, as well as 1 or 2 practices that might
augment positivity. Perhaps you could dispute your own negative thinking when it crops up. Or
perhaps you could practice being more open, or more forgiving. Maybe you can spend more time
in nature, or socializing. Or start a new ritual for expressing gratitude. Whatever you come up
with, for the next 3 days, implement these new practices in your daily life and continue to take
the Positivity Self-Test nightly. At the end of 6 days, compute your average positivity ratio for the
most recent 3 days. Now reflect on the process. Did you see any changes in your positivity ratio?
Speculate on why or why not. Which of the practices that you tried might be worth sticking to as
a new ratio-raising habit?
Week 4
Having uncovered considerable evidence for the long-term benefits of starting a practice
of loving-kindness meditation, or LKM, I get countless inquiries about how to begin. The guided
meditation in Module 4 will introduce you to LKM in a way that dovetails with the emerging
science. Far more important that reading or talking about LKM is the time and energy you devote
to practicing it. So find a quiet place where you are unlikely to be interrupted and follow the
instructions in the audio file. Afterwards, reflect on the process. What was it like for you? Did any
emotions, pleasant or unpleasant, arise? What might you change next time either in where you
practice or how you approach it to better access feelings of warmth and kindness?

Week 5 :
Each evening for the next 5 days, review your entire day and call to mind the 3 longest
social interactions you had that day. Thinking of these 3 interactions all together, consider how
true each of the following two statements is for you:

During these social interactions, I felt in tune with the person/s around me.

During these social interactions, I felt close to the person/s.

Rate the truth of these two statements on a scale from 1 to 7, on which 1 = not at all true, and 7
= very true. Record your answers anywhere, like in a notebook or a computer spreadsheet that
you create. Simply use this activity to reflect on whether your potential moments of positivity
resonance were in fact realized. At the end of 5 days, reflect on the process. Did anything change
for you? If so, describe how. What might you do differently in the future to increase your feelings
of closeness and of being in tune with others?
After completing this activity, you may want to share your experiences on the Module 5
Discussion Forums.

Week 6
Recall how energizing and rewarding it can be to really connect with somebody, sharing a
flow of thoughts and feelings with ease. Over the next 5 days, as your day unfolds, seek out at
least 3 opportunities to connect with others like this, with warmth, respect, and goodwill.
Opportunities may spring up at home, at work, in your neighborhood, or out in your community.
Wherever you are, open toward others, freely offering your attention, creating a sense of safety,
through eye contact, conversation, or when appropriate, touch. Share your own light-hearted
thoughts and feelings, and stay present as the other person shares theirs. Aim to make a true
positive difference in each of these other peoples day. At the end of 5 days, reflect on the
process. What was your reaction to this assignment? Were you able to feel the oneness of
positivity resonance, even to a small degree? Did the quality of your days change in any way?
Speculate on the positive ripples you may have created.