![Meet T+: Introducing the Thursday Think Positive: As Amanda wrote in her recent Founder’s Letter on Positive Psychology, 2012 is the year of thinking positive at Levo.
Positivity doesn’t always come naturally. The same principle often holds true of optimism. Sometimes, things are just difficult. But it’s almost always a sure shot that reframing stressful issues in a positive light can improve the experience of moving through those issues. That’s why we’ve created T+ Thursday— to give us all a little kick-in-the-tush to make sure we’re being positive. Positive people are happier people. They do better, stronger work, and are healthier overall. Study after study suggests the benefits of maintaining a positive outlook.And here you have it: T+ (Think Positive) has landed.This morning, I sat with our team at Levo and talked about how hard it can be living in a big city. I worked from home on MLK Day and had a bit of an unproductive, lonely day. It’s funny—there are people absolutely everywhere. But – and I’m sure you can relate – even surrounded by people, life can get very lonely.I’m definitely an extravert, so it makes sense that I get bored and sad when I don’t take time to socialize with others. While I know that not everyone else is such a people person, what surprised me about our inaugural T+ is that both introverts and extroverts alike need to socialize during their day to be happy.
How much “social” time do you need?A great new study in the Gallup Management Journal confirms (for the willing) that spending time with friends is not only a good way to master your social life, it can also be good for your career, financial, and physical well-being. Get this: the study found that people need to spend six hours a day socializing to have a good day. Even if you consider yourself to be introverted, Gallup still suggests five hours a day for maximum well-being.
Just meeting with one person per day can elevate your mood. And your mood increases when you socialize with more people (the relationship isn’t really linear, but it is surprising how much increased socialization levels can improve well-being). That kind of makes “working remotely” from home seem less beneficial than you might have originally thought.
Gut choices: crossword puzzles, exercise, or volunteering?
Something else that qualifies as amazing — and that reinforces our thesis that socializing is a trigger for positive outcomes: as a study in the British Medical Journal published, people who spent time in social activities (volunteering, running errands, or getting together with friends) live just as long, and just as well, as those who spent the same amount of time exercising.“Social engagement was as strong as any [factor] we found in determining longevity,” found the researchers. “It was stronger than things like blood pressure, cholesterol, or other measures of health.”
If living longer isn’t enough of a draw, we found that maintaining an active social life could even make you smarter! Another recent study at the University of Michigan found that the higher a person’s level of social interaction, the better their cognitive functioning. Think of it this way: regular positive social interaction, such as calling a friend or visiting a neighbor, is just as helpful for staying mentally sharp as doing a daily crossword puzzle.
Which is better: After-work drinks with coworkers, or hanging with friends? Here’s something that won’t surprise your intuition—but it may surprise you to see science confirming what you know in your gut: the kind of people you socialize with also makes a difference in how much more positively your mood is affected. Interestingly, socializing with non-coworkers increases your mood more than your colleagues. So making the extra effort to go across town to meet up with a different group of friends after work might be worth it.This weekend, just think twice about letting yourself succumb to staying home watching marathons on E! instead of trekking into the cold to meet friends for coffee. Or if it’s really miserable out, call up an old friend from high school to catch up – technology-facilitated socializing counts! [ed. note: if you’re in New York, it’s basically going to be fairly miserable]
Go forth, think positive, socialize—and happy T+ Thursday!](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly13gb1EZH1rnojvoo1_r1_250.png)
Meet T+: Introducing the Thursday Think Positive:
As Amanda wrote in her recent Founder’s Letter on Positive Psychology, 2012 is the year of thinking positive at Levo.
Positivity doesn’t always come naturally. The same principle often holds true of optimism. Sometimes, things are just difficult. But it’s almost always a sure shot that reframing stressful issues in a positive light can improve the experience of moving through those issues. That’s why we’ve created T+ Thursday— to give us all a little kick-in-the-tush to make sure we’re being positive. Positive people are happier people. They do better, stronger work, and are healthier overall. Study after study suggests the benefits of maintaining a positive outlook.
And here you have it: T+ (Think Positive) has landed.
This morning, I sat with our team at Levo and talked about how hard it can be living in a big city. I worked from home on MLK Day and had a bit of an unproductive, lonely day. It’s funny—there are people absolutely everywhere. But – and I’m sure you can relate – even surrounded by people, life can get very lonely.
I’m definitely an extravert, so it makes sense that I get bored and sad when I don’t take time to socialize with others. While I know that not everyone else is such a people person, what surprised me about our inaugural T+ is that both introverts and extroverts alike need to socialize during their day to be happy.
How much “social” time do you need?
A great new study in the Gallup Management Journal confirms (for the willing) that spending time with friends is not only a good way to master your social life, it can also be good for your career, financial, and physical well-being. Get this: the study found that people need to spend six hours a day socializing to have a good day. Even if you consider yourself to be introverted, Gallup still suggests five hours a day for maximum well-being.
Just meeting with one person per day can elevate your mood. And your mood increases when you socialize with more people (the relationship isn’t really linear, but it is surprising how much increased socialization levels can improve well-being). That kind of makes “working remotely” from home seem less beneficial than you might have originally thought.
Gut choices: crossword puzzles, exercise, or volunteering?
Something else that qualifies as amazing — and that reinforces our thesis that socializing is a trigger for positive outcomes: as a study in the British Medical Journal published, people who spent time in social activities (volunteering, running errands, or getting together with friends) live just as long, and just as well, as those who spent the same amount of time exercising.
“Social engagement was as strong as any [factor] we found in determining longevity,” found the researchers. “It was stronger than things like blood pressure, cholesterol, or other measures of health.”
If living longer isn’t enough of a draw, we found that maintaining an active social life could even make you smarter! Another recent study at the University of Michigan found that the higher a person’s level of social interaction, the better their cognitive functioning. Think of it this way: regular positive social interaction, such as calling a friend or visiting a neighbor, is just as helpful for staying mentally sharp as doing a daily crossword puzzle.
Which is better: After-work drinks with coworkers, or hanging with friends?
Here’s something that won’t surprise your intuition—but it may surprise you to see science confirming what you know in your gut: the kind of people you socialize with also makes a difference in how much more positively your mood is affected. Interestingly, socializing with non-coworkers increases your mood more than your colleagues. So making the extra effort to go across town to meet up with a different group of friends after work might be worth it.
This weekend, just think twice about letting yourself succumb to staying home watching marathons on E! instead of trekking into the cold to meet friends for coffee. Or if it’s really miserable out, call up an old friend from high school to catch up – technology-facilitated socializing counts! [ed. note: if you’re in New York, it’s basically going to be fairly miserable]
Go forth, think positive, socialize—and happy T+ Thursday!
