With snowy slush and dark mornings all around, third quarter often appears the gloomiest time of the year. There’s no football games or fall leaves to look forward to, nor holidays ahead. It’s a long stretch between New Year’s and Spring Break, with little in between. But it doesn’t have to be so dull. Even small actions meant to foster positivity in your life can make a huge difference, and while it might sound too corny to be true, positivity really does have a purpose.
Positivity is often written off as a cringey concept; when most picture it, fake cheer and big smiles come to mind. However, positivity is less about the classic optimism it’s often associated with, and more about self-care and kindness. For instance, you can help increase the positivity in your life when you listen to some of your favorite songs to boost your mood, or give yourself a break after a long day. While these might not be traditional ways to foster positivity, they’re as effective as some of the conventional methods, and may be more aligned with your interests.
“One way I boost positivity in my everyday life by laughing more. either with my friends in class or in the hall. I found it helps me to focus on the positive and not the daunting lists of the day,” Lilly Cayce, a sophomore and member of a student-run positivity initiative, said.
But what’s the big deal about positivity? Why is a concept so simple significant to our everyday lives? Well, positivity boosts our mood-but it also goes far beyond that. It can have important health benefits, such as fewer chronic illnesses, lower risk of heart disease and associated mortality, improved fertility in women and more, says the University of Pennsylvania. On the other hand, a lack of it can pose serious risks; “Susceptibility to reduced positive emotions in the context of stress may increase risk for poor mental health outcomes, including anxiety and depressive disorders and low overall levels of positive emotion,” the Journal of Abnormal Psychology said.
As the importance of positivity becomes more widely recognized, some have taken steps to not only foster it for themselves, but also to help the wider community. For instance, Brighter Days Ahead HOSA, a student-run group part of the HOSA organization, has worked to promote positivity throughout the community and offer ways students can increase it in their lives.
“We often don’t realize it, but positivity plays a major role in our day to day lives. Since its importance often goes unnoticed, we believed that bringing attention to something that is crucial in our everyday lives was important,” Bhavini Gayam, sophomore and member of Brighter Days Ahead HOSA said.
If you want to increase your positivity but don’t know how, check out Brighters Days Ahead HOSA’s Instagram (@brighterdaysahead.hosa), and stay on the lookout for other activities they host which can help as well.
