Focusing on the positive is something I have always striven to incorporate into daily practice. Practicing positivity can lower stress, improve physical health, yield healthier relationships, and more. I am drawn to books, articles, and podcasts that provide practical strategies for reframing my outlook and perceptions in ways that support my wellness and healthy relationships with others. There is no shortage of strategies. For example, this article by Mayo Clinic provides concrete ideas, such as positive thinking over negative self-talk, engaging with positive people as much as possible, keeping a gratitude journal, and finding humor throughout difficult times.

Strategies such as these worked for me at various life stages—until March 2020. This was the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and a time when political strife and racial injustices were taking place across our country and in our communities. Everything felt difficult, and focusing on the positive seemed to no longer work.

Like many of my friends and colleagues, I turned to walking outdoors to manage pandemic-related stressors. I embarked on an endless stream of podcasts and audiobooks seeking a way to make meaning of what was happening. I turned to Brené Brown and Glennon Doyle, who both offer helpful perspectives on understanding and navigating the impact current events have on our lives.

Then, I remembered a podcast I listened to in late 2019: Finding Fred, hosted by Carvell Wallace. Wallace seeks to understand Fred Rogers, the man famous for wearing a red cardigan on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” and how the children’s show is relevant as we try to understand the world today. In one podcast episode, Wallace covers Mr. Rogers’ televised message regarding the tragedy of 9/11. The podcast shared a snippet of Mr. Rogers’ message that I found myself replaying over and over:

“I know how tough it is some days to look with hope and confidence on the years ahead. But I would like to tell you what I often told you when you were much younger. I like you just the way you are. And what’s more, I’m so grateful to you for helping the children in your life to know that you’ll do everything you can to keep them safe and to help express their feelings in ways that will bring healing in many different neighborhoods.”

As Wallace points out, Mr. Rogers was not talking to children, he was talking to us.

I experienced a confluence of emotions hearing these words. I remembered my pre-pandemic quest to focus on the positive, as an attempt to stop dwelling on so much negativity. What I also realized was that “focus on the positive” felt like an incomplete thought, one that was not strong enough for me to sustain in pandemic times.

I needed more direction, so I decided to apply some of the aforementioned positivity strategies to the facets of my life that I value the most instead of practices that were not connected to what I, and so many others, were currently experiencing.

Here is what I tried:

1. Focus on the positive aspects of our relationships with loved ones. Who are the people in our lives who inspire and support us? Who are the people who need that from us? In addition to keeping a gratitude journal, I needed to share gratitude with friends and colleagues on a regular basis. I began telling them how much I value our relationship, especially through difficult times.
2. Focus on the positive aspects of where we spend our time and energy. Many of us spend the bulk of our time and energy at work.  Working in higher education during the pandemic has presented new and continuing challenges. I strive to engage in positive self-talk on how the work I do contributes, even in a small way, to making the world a better place through the power of education.
3. Focus on the positive in the future. A frequent “focus on the positive” strategy is to imagine a positive future. This has not been easy since March 2020. I have started to seek out stories of inspiration. I spend more time reading about the successes and talent of current students at the University of Iowa as they work to improve lives and communities.
4. Not focusing on the positive. I have a friend who teaches at a middle school that primarily serves students from marginalized backgrounds and identities. The cumulative effect of the pandemic on her, her students, and her community has never been more apparent. We decided that there are days and situations where we have to sit in the hard. There are days when it is not helpful to try to focus on the positive or fix anything at that moment—sometimes, we just have to be.

The thing I have learned about focusing on the positive is that is it imperative to be fluid, contextual, and most of all, tailored to what resonates and works for each individual. Some strategies that work now may not work later. Effective strategies and approaches also depend on the context of what is happening around us and how our personal identities are impacted. Focusing on the positive is a process that can yield positive, long-term benefits, especially when practiced with other strategies, such as those on the Mental Health at Iowa website.