An Evening with Barbara Frederickson

Seymour Center, Chapel Hill, NC

May 30, 2019

with Barbara Frederickson:  on happiness, it can mean a series of moments.  She referred to "flourishing" -- the interplay of happiness and good deeds, engaging in meaningful activities, waking up in a good mood.

Ask Barbara and Dr. _____ (?)  about the Harvard study saying that for older people, exercise is more important than diet -- do you agree?  It's also an antidote to depression.  They agree, very important.  May be better to say "movement," as opposed to "exercise."

Spirituality:  important in terms of connections and experiencing positive emotions.

Positive connections.  Savoring.  Even chatting with the people making our coffee at Starbucks is important.

Daily Activities:  very important, according to Barbara.  Creating structure is important.

Re:  Coursera:  (her course was initiated 5 years ago;  the Friday Center produced it and Coursera sponsors it.  There are 4 "students" in her group and their answers are spontaneous and unrehearsed.  

On emotions:  it's thought and emotion.  Mindfulness can be helpful here -- helps us recognize and accept our emotions but not identify with the feeling. "R-A-I-N"

here's an idea from Lisa:  if you have a worry, write it down and "flip it" -- see how you can extract something positive from it.

Dr. (?)  studies depression and its affects on the body;  for ex., depression, according to Barbara, causes inflammation and diseases like arthritis and cancer.