When Rumination Is a Good Thing
When's the last time you made a good memory \u2014 intentionally? Our guest tries a practice in cultivating positive experiences and taking time to savor them.
\n\nLink to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2kwpfu7a
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Episode summary:
\n\nLife doesn't always hand us good times, but we can benefit as much or more when we create our own happy memories and take time to appreciate them. This week on The Science of Happiness, our guest tries a practice to intentionally create good experiences and reflect on them. Deandrea Farlow is a member of the Bay Area Freedom Collective, a re-entry home where formerly incarcerated people can find community and connections. Deandrea\xa0 brings us into his experience with this practice, and shares what it\u2019s like to find strength through the hardest times as well as\xa0 positive events, like the ones he created for our show. Psychologist Meg Speer explains how ruminating on good times can actually change the way we respond to stress. .
\n\nPractice: Creating and Recalling Positive Events
\n\n1. Do an activity that you enjoy doing alone.
\n\n2. With a friend, do something that you enjoy doing with others.
\n\n3. Do something that you consider personally important and meaningful.
\n\n4. Then take a step back and really think about these three events. Write about how they make you feel. Talk about it with a friend, or just really think about it.
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Learn more about this practice at Greater Good In Action:
\n\nhttps://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/creating_and_recalling_positive_events
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Today\u2019s guests:
\n\nDeandrea Farlow is a member of the Bay Area Freedom Collective, a home by and for formerly incarcerated people, which provides resources and support for their re-entry.
\n\nTo learn more about Bay Area Freedom House: https://www.collectivefreedom.org/
\n\nor: https://www.facebook.com/bayareafreedom/
\n\nTo financially support the Bay Area Freedom Collective: https://givedirect.org/freedomcollective/
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Meg Speer is a postdoctoral researcher in the SCAN lab at Columbia University. She studies how autobiographical memories and positive thoughts affect our brain function.
\n\nLearn more about Meg and her work: https://tinyurl.com/yf39acwk
\n\nFollow Meg on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mspeer3
\n\nFollow Meg on Google Scholar: https://tinyurl.com/9cn3tmbh
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Resources for Recalling Positive Event:
\n\nTED \u2014There\u2019s an art to happy memories \u2014 you can make more by experiencing more \u201cfirst\u201ds: https://tinyurl.com/2p8sdsy7
\n\nHidden Brain (NPR) \u2014 Nostalgia Isn't Just A Fixation On The Past - It Can Be About The Future, Too: https://tinyurl.com/5d8dej3a
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Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:
\n\nFive Ways Nostalgia Can Improve Your Well-Being: https://tinyurl.com/veeraw6u
\n\nListen to our episode, \u201cHow to Make Time for Happiness\u201d https://tinyurl.com/yhf39awt
\n\nListen to our last episode featuring the Bay Area Freedom Collective, \u201cHow to Feel Less Lonely and More Connected\u201d https://tinyurl.com/4d6dm9zp
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We\u2019d love for you to try out this practice and share how it went for you. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.
\n\nHelp us share The Science of Happiness!
\n\nLeave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or copy and share this link with someone who might like the show: pod.link/1340505607