<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Dear all,<br clear="all"></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">We realize that being a grad student or postdoc has enough challenges without adding extra stress. I'm hoping for you that you feel safe, assured, and supported. May we all feel a sense of calm.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">From what I am reading, staying as positive as possible and connecting with others can make a big difference to one's spirits. Notice the small pleasures of life. Try to practice being grateful. Consider Skyping (Facetime, etc.) with each other and with family and friends regularly, and notice how it can lift up your mood. Also, please feel free to chat with me if you need a little moral support. Just send me an email and I'll send my cell number. I'm sure that others on the ASP team would say the same thing.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Below is an article with some suggestions on how to feel happier in these times. The important idea not mentioned is that of reaching out to people you care about by phone/video, which can really help to energize and diminish feelings of isolation.  </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Also, here is a candle to bring some warmth and calm into your evening or morning.  </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><div><img src="cid:ii_k7zo89wx0" alt="candlelight.png" width="401" height="386"><br></div></div><div>





<p class="gmail-p1" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";min-height:14px"><a class="gmail-hero-card-labels__link" rel="" id="gmail-" style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ReithSans,Arial,Helvetica,freesans,sans-serif"></a></p><div class="gmail-hero-card-labels__header" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-bottom:16px"><h2 class="gmail-hero-header__header gmail-hero-header__header--large" style="box-sizing:border-box;font-family:CuriousSansBold;color:rgb(255,255,255);line-height:48px;margin:0px"><font style="background-color:rgb(159,197,232)" size="6">Tips for how to stay happy in troubling times</font></h2></div>
<p class="gmail-p2" style="margin:0px 0px 2px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><b><font size="4">By dwelling less on stress and reflecting on the positives, BBC Future’s guide to happiness will help you to feel less overwhelmed by world events.</font></b></p>
<p class="gmail-p1" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";min-height:14px"><br></p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">With the unfolding global coronavirus pandemic leading to people being confined to their homes, borders being shut and economic instability, it can be hard not to feel overwhelmed by the state of the world at the moment. The good news? <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51873799"><span class="gmail-s1" style="color:rgb(220,161,13)"><b>Even in times of stress and anxiety, you can take proactive steps to lift your mood</b></span></a>.</p><p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><br></p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">The science of emotions is incredibly complicated, but it is also well-studied. Over the years, BBC Future has interviewed dozens of world-leading experts in psychology who shared with us practical, everyday tips for coping better with stress. We recently trawled through the research. Here are some of the top tips we found – some of which may surprise you.</p>
<p class="gmail-p1" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";min-height:14px"><br></p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><b>1. Distract yourself.</b></p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">It’s easy to run over and over the topic that’s stressing us out, whether that’s the new coronavirus outbreak, the state of the climate or something else. But <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20846182"><span class="gmail-s1" style="color:rgb(220,161,13)"><b>stopping people from ruminating on a recent stressful event – by offering a distraction – can lower their blood pressure back to normal levels</b></span></a> quicker than offering no distraction.</p><p class="gmail-p1" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";min-height:14px"><br></p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><b>2. If you meditate, be aware that it might not work for everyone.</b></p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">In times like these, many people might find meditation and mindfulness helpful. But others might not – for precisely the reason above. For some people, practicing stillness might simply invite rumination. It can be difficult not to think about stressful events when trying to clear our minds. This may be why <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190813-burnout-anxiety-stress-proof-relief"><span class="gmail-s1" style="color:rgb(220,161,13)"><b>evidence for the benefits of mindfulness and meditation is patchy</b></span></a>. For those people, a more compelling distraction than meditation might be required.</p>
<p class="gmail-p1" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";min-height:14px"><br></p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><b>3. Reframe the situation.</b></p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">How we interpret our emotions is largely down to how they’re framed – in other words, the context. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190605-a-mentalists-guide-to-being-happy"><span class="gmail-s1" style="color:rgb(220,161,13)"><b>While talking about his 2017 book Happy</b></span></a>, Derren Brown gives the example of a tennis player going into a match thinking “I must win”. If they set an expectation that winning is everything, if they start to lose, they feel like an abject failure. This is a trap perfectionists tend to fall into, and it’s why <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180219-toxic-perfectionism-is-on-the-rise"><span class="gmail-s1" style="color:rgb(220,161,13)"><b>perfectionists tend to respond with more guilt, shame and anger</b></span></a> when they feel they aren’t succeeding. They may even be more likely to give up.</p><p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><br></p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">The player who goes into a match thinking “I will play the best I can”, however, believes that they are less hurt by losing, so long as they are doing their best. The signs of failure are interpreted differently by both players based on the expectations that they set for themselves.</p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">It’s worth thinking about how you can apply this in your daily life: can each moment or day be about doing the best you can in a stressful situation (“I will practice proper hygiene and social distancing”), rather than focusing on an outcome out of your control (“I will not and cannot get sick”)?</p><p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><br></p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">That control part is key. Stressful situations are often beyond our control, and we create anxiety and worry when we try to control what we can’t. Focusing on what can be controlled, on the other hand, can decrease feelings of anxiety.</p>
<p class="gmail-p1" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";min-height:14px"><br></p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><b>4. Don’t obsess over being positive or happy.</b></p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">This one may seem counterintuitive: it can be a bad idea to chase positive emotions. Actively pursuing happiness can lead to the reverse effect. For one thing, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51631109_The_Pursuit_of_Happiness_Can_Be_Lonely"><span class="gmail-s1" style="color:rgb(220,161,13)"><b>the more we focus on our own happiness, the less we focus on the happiness of the people around us</b></span></a>, which has been shown to contribute to feelings of isolation and disconnection. There is also <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20181218-whats-the-quickest-way-to-happiness-do-nothing"><span class="gmail-s1" style="color:rgb(220,161,13)"><b>a link between searching for happiness and feeling that time is slipping away</b></span></a>.</p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">And again, if you’re focused on an outcome like “I must feel happy”, you may feel worse about yourself if you don’t succeed – even though it’s perfectly natural to have a more difficult time feeling happy in stressful times.</p>
<p class="gmail-p1" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";min-height:14px"><br></p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><b>5. Focus on the small things.</b></p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">It may be wise, then, to spend less time trying to <i>become</i> happy, and focus more on the little things that make us happy.</p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">In her book Ten Minutes to Happiness, Sandi Mann, a lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20181016-how-to-boost-your-mood-with-one-10-minute-exercise"><span class="gmail-s1" style="color:rgb(220,161,13)"><b>advocates keeping a daily journal</b></span></a>. Her strategy is based on “positive psychology” – a well-established area of psychology that suggests we can improve our mood by focusing on the small things that bring happiness to us each day. Mann says that answering the following six questions, a task that should only take 10 minutes, can help us to find more happiness in life.</p>
<p class="gmail-p1" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";min-height:14px"><br></p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">1. What experiences, however mundane, gave you pleasure?</p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">2. What praise and feedback did you receive?</p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">3. What were the moments of pure good fortune?</p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">4. What were your achievements, however small?</p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">5. What made you feel grateful?</p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">6. How did you express kindness?</p>
<p class="gmail-p1" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";min-height:14px"><br></p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">The benefits of keeping a short journal like this are two-fold. When we write, it helps to remind us of the small things that brought us happiness. It also provides us with an archive of everything that has made us happy in the past, which we can reflect on at a later date.</p>
<p class="gmail-p1" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";min-height:14px"><br></p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><b>6. Clean up – maybe. </b>Should you find yourself quarantined, take this opportunity to clean your house. "Kondo-ing" your home has been shown to carry many benefits. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3072218/"><span class="gmail-s1" style="color:rgb(220,161,13)"><b>Clutter makes it harder for us to focus on tasks</b></span></a>, so should you find yourself working from home, a quick tidy up might help you to get your jobs done. A <a href="https://www.stlawu.edu/news/student-faculty-sleep-research-published-presented"><span class="gmail-s1" style="color:rgb(220,161,13)"><b>messy bedroom has been linked with difficulty sleeping</b></span></a>, and <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2711870"><span class="gmail-s1" style="color:rgb(220,161,13)"><b>messy kitchens with making poor health choices, like reaching for junk food</b></span></a>. If you are going to be spending more time in the house, it will be worth your while getting your living spacesin order.</p><p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><br></p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">However, de-cluttering is not for everyone. Hoarders use physical objects to reinforce feelings of comfort and security. For those people, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190515-can-decluttering-your-house-really-spark-joy"><span class="gmail-s1" style="color:rgb(220,161,13)"><b>tidying up activates the brain’s pain-processing regions</b></span></a>.</p>
<p class="gmail-p1" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";min-height:14px"><br></p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><b>7. Balance your social media consumption.</b></p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">Social media might appear to be filled with bad news, but for many it is also a key way to stay updated and connected with friends and loved ones. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180202-how-to-stay-happy-and-healthy-on-social-media"><span class="gmail-s1" style="color:rgb(220,161,13)"><b>Keeping your phone out of your bedroom, or self-imposing screen-free time</b></span></a>, can help you to balance the negativity with the benefits social media brings.</p>
<p class="gmail-p5" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";min-height:15px"><b></b><br></p>
<p class="gmail-p3" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">So the next time you find yourself worrying about the world, consider taking some of these steps instead of rum</span><font face="verdana, sans-serif" style="">inatin</font><font face="Helvetica Neue" style="">g, refreshing your social media feeds or, perhaps for some, even meditating. Remember: emotions are what we make of them.</font></p>
<p class="gmail-p1" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";min-height:14px"><br></p><p class="gmail-p2" style="margin:0px 0px 2px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">By William Park<span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">  </span>18th March 2020</p><p class="gmail-p2" style="margin:0px 0px 2px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><br></p><p class="gmail-p2" style="margin:0px 0px 2px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">***</span></p><p class="gmail-p2" style="margin:0px 0px 2px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></span></p><p class="gmail-p2" style="margin:0px 0px 2px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Take care of yourself, and please reach out if you want to chat. </span></p><p class="gmail-p2" style="margin:0px 0px 2px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></span></p><p class="gmail-p2" style="margin:0px 0px 2px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Val </span></p><p class="gmail-p2" style="margin:0px 0px 2px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal"><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">and th</span><span class="gmail_default" style=""><font face="verdana, sans-serif">e ASP</font></span><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> team</span><br></p><p class="gmail-p2" style="margin:0px 0px 2px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><br></p><p class="gmail-p2" style="margin:0px 0px 2px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><br></p></div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>