Finding Happiness in Negative Emotions

The Happiness Institute explains how negative emotions are not always ultimately bad for the individual. It is from these negative emotions that help one mature, learn and become stronger or wiser.

A research conducted by the University of Texas had discovered a new approach in finding happiness in negative emotions. The researchers conducted an experiment, which tested a novel emotional regulation strategy with two more traditional approaches.

The two traditional methods included were established strategies for increasing psychological wellbeing, emotional disclosure and positive re-appraisal. This refers to the typically recommended approach of telling others how you’re feeling and/or rethinking the situation from a different perspective.

The novel strategy involved an integrated approach based on a combination of acceptance and re-appraisal. This new approach involved recommending individuals to accept the situation as it is and rethink it by looking for positive lessons.

Through their experiment, the researchers discovered that the new combined approach proved to more effective in helping individuals bounce back from adversity. They concluded that this was the optimal strategy for building happiness.

The Happiness Institute has created a list of questions to help utilise this new approach:

• Realistically, what am I facing?
• What's the worst that could happen? What's the best that could happened? What's the most realistic outcome?
• What can I do about this?
• What strengths do I bring to this situation?
• What resources (e.g. people) might help me deal with this situation?
• How bad is it really?
• How bad will it seem in a day, a week, a month or a year's time?
• What might I learn from this?
• When I'm able to look back on this and find something from which I can grow, what might it be?