Staying positive can be a real challenge for those who suffer from anxiety or low self-worth, but new research shows that our imaginations play a powerful role in creating positive change. A study from the University of Missouri-Columbia revealed that visualizing our best possible selves through a simple, 15-minute exercise showed immediate increases in positive emotions.
The study involved undergraduate students in Missouri who completed the Best Possible Self exercise daily for two weeks. The exercise developed by The Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) invited participants to consider all areas of their life—such as their career, academic work, relationships, hobbies, and health—and write continuously for 15 minutes about what they imagine their best possible future to be.
“This exercise is most useful when it is very specific,” says the GGSC. “If you think about a new job, imagine exactly what you would do, who you would work with, and where it would be. The more specific you are, the more engaged you will be in the exercise and the more you’ll get out of it.”
Participants who stuck with the daily practice for two weeks felt more positive right away. And the people who kept doing the exercise after the study ended were still feeling the benefits a month later. While the original group was mostly white, female college students, the researchers have since looked at how this exercise works for other demographics as well.
In Norway, for example, a four-week online program boosted emotional well-being for six months, no matter someone’s age, gender, or education level. And among South Korean and Chinese university students, adding the Best Possible Self exercise to six- and eight-week wellness programs led to increases in well-being, and even reductions in depression.
To prove the concept even further, the GGSC collaborated with award-winning psychologist Dacher Keltner to produce a podcast called The Science of Happiness. Each episode focuses on a guest who tries a Greater Good in Action practice like the Best Possible Self exercise to boost their well-being.
Do you believe in manifesting your best life? Try out the Best Possible Self exercise for yourself and check out the full report by the University of Missouri-Columbia.
The Greater Good Science Center: Website
Source: Best Possible Self
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