SEAing the Best in Yourself and Others

Character and personal force are the only investments worth anything.

Walt Whitman

A Mindful Approach to Strengths

Mindfulness is the self-regulation of attention. The self-regulation of one’s in-the-moment experience is accompanied by an attitude of curiosity, openness, and acceptance [1]. The most studied form of mindfulness practice, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), has been shown to effectively lower stress and depression as well as increase quality of life [2]. Researchers have also found that MBSR helps improve the mental health of participants with psychological disorders [3]. Our ever-wandering minds, coupled with the countless distractions that we face daily make mindfulness not just useful – but essential for navigating the undercurrents of our waking experience. You might have tried mindfulness meditation. Such a practice is often accompanied by gentle prompts to ‘focus on your breath,’ ‘return to the present moment’ or to ‘shift your attention’ to various parts of your body. Indeed, there are numerous ways and benefits associated with returning one’s attention to the present moment. Meditation is but one of the many ways to cultivate mindfulness.

Recently, mindfulness has been applied to a key area in positive psychology – that of character strengths. In contrast with MBSR, Mindfulness-Based Strengths Practice (MBSP) centers one’s attention on one’s best qualities. Strengths are personality characteristics that form part of our identity. Importantly, they are qualities that produce positive outcomes for ourselves and those around us [4]. MBSP is the practice of self-regulating our attention by anchoring our immediate thoughts, actions, and emotions to our strengths. At work, for instance, this might involve being aware of how your creativity has helped you solve a challenging problem. Similarly, it might involve you recognizing how a colleague expresses their gratitude toward you for the assistance you kindly offered them on another task or project. The effects of MBSP on well-being are promising. Research indicates that being attentive toward and using one’s strengths mindfully increases job satisfaction [5] and enhances academic performance [6]. Additionally, focusing on strengths and using our best qualities not only reduces suffering and psychosomatic illness but also promotes well-being [7].

The Best of You: Signature Strengths are Essential, Energizing, and Effortless

Are you aware of your best qualities? What aspects of your personality are you most proud of, and essential to who you are? What might your friends and family say are your best qualities? A first step toward being mindful of your strengths is to identify and label your strengths. Are you someone who possesses strengths of mind? Do see yourself as creative, curious, having a love of learning or are known by your friends as someone who exercises good judgment? Or perhaps you are someone with strengths of will – you are perseverant, brave, and fair in how you treat others. You might have strengths of heart – others call you kind, socially intelligent, and humble. Finally, you might also recognize yourself as having strengths of soul – hope, gratitude, and spirituality feature as your best qualities. These strengths are universal and evident across cultures, identified and replicated across a 20-year study of the best of human attributes and qualities [8].

You can identify your strengths by completing the most popular and validated measure of strengths – the VIA Character Strengths Survey here.

Once you have completed the VIA survey, take note of the strengths in your top five on the list. These are the essence of your best qualities. While all strengths are important, these top strengths – those in your top five from the VIA survey, represent what is known as your signature strengths. Signature strengths are those which are most essential, and energizing, and the ones you use most effortlessly. Research indicates that these strengths are key to well-being – using them regularly and in different ways is associated with higher levels of well-being and lowers the risk of depression [9]. You might not even realize these as strengths – they come naturally to you and are used instinctively in your daily life. But take note – they are central to who you are; you would not be you without them. Being mindful of your best qualities and making this mindful seeing of strengths a habit is a powerful way to enhance your well-being.

SEA-ing Strengths as a Path to Well-being

Recall how you have used your signature strengths. Think about instances in which your strengths have helped bring out the best of a situation for yourself or others. For example, if you are a parent and one of your strengths is the appreciation of beauty and excellence, think of a time when you took notice of, and praised your child’s artwork (however naturally this might come to you as a parent). If one of your signature strengths is humility, think about the time you shared your achievements and recognition with others who helped you succeed. If you found bravery to be one of your top strengths, reflect on the time you willingly took on that challenging project or assignment for your growth and development. Consider how you can see your strengths more mindfully, using the SEA model:

• Spot the strengths in yourself and others: What positive characteristics did I see in myself and others?

• Explain by providing evidence for what you observe: How did I use these strengths to benefit myself and those around me? How did others do the same?

• Appreciate the value of those strengths: How might I nurture my strengths? How can I help others nurture their strengths?

Let’s say you notice yourself swapping out an unhealthy snack for some fruit when you are feeling a little hungry. Choosing a healthier, though perhaps no less tasty, snack option is something that requires the strength of self-regulation – that bag of potato chips, after all, might have been especially tempting after a stressful day at work. Here, you are spotting and labelling your strength of self-regulation. You are more aware of your snack choices and mindful that self-regulation is a strength that helps you to stick to a healthier snack option. In doing so, you are explaining how this strength has been helpful for you. You then acknowledge that self-regulation plays an important part in cultivating healthier eating habits that contribute to your long-term health. As such, the recognition and explanation of your strengths allow you to appreciate self-regulation as one of the best, most helpful characteristics of your personality.

Take a Mindful Approach to Your Best Qualities

Every waking moment is an opportunity for you to spot, explain, and appreciate the best qualities in yourself and others. Far too often, we go through our days on autopilot, not being present, aware, or mindful of how the best qualities are helping us throughout the day. A mindful approach to your strengths allows you to redirect, appreciate, and open up new opportunities, allowing you to express the best of who you are and elevating well-being – both for yourself and for those around you.

References

[1] Niemiec, R. M. (2023). Mindfulness and Character Strengths: A Practitioner's Guide to MBSP. Hogrefe Publishing GmbH.

[2] Khoury, B., Sharma, M., Rush, S. E., & Fournier, C. (2015). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for healthy individuals: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 78(6), 519-528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2015.03.009

[3] de Vibe, M., Bjørndal, A., Fattah, S., Dyrdal, G. M., Halland, E., & Tanner‐Smith, E. E. (2017). Mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) for improving health, quality of life and social functioning in adults: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 13(1), 1-264. https://doi.org/10.4073/csr.2017.11

[4] Niemiec, R.M. (2018). Character strengths interventions: A field guide for practitioners. Hogrefe.

[5] Pang, D., & Ruch, W. (2019). Fusing character strengths and mindfulness interventions: Benefits for job satisfaction and performance. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 24(1), 150-162. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000144

[6] Wingert, J. R., Jones, J. C., Swoap, R. A., & Wingert, H. M. (2022). Mindfulness-based strengths practice improves well-being and retention in undergraduates: A preliminary randomized controlled trial. Journal of American College Health, 70(3), 783-790. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1764005

[7] Niemiec, R. M. (2023). Mental health and character strengths: the dual role of boosting well-being and reducing suffering. Mental Health and Social Inclusion. 2794), 294-316. https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-01-2023-0012

[8] Biswas-Diener, R. (2006). From the equator to the North Pole: A study of character strengths. Journal of Happiness Studies, 7, 293-310. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-005-3646-8

[9] Schutte, N.S. & Malouff, J.M. (2019). The impact of signature character strengths interventions: A meta-analysis. Journal of Happiness Studies, 20, 1179–1196. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-018-9990-2

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