Upward Spiral of Positive Emotions

The observation that the effects of positive emotions accumulate and compound. That is, the effects of positive emotions, broadened thinking, and positive meaning share reciprocal relations. The broadened attention and cognition triggered by positive emotions, for instance, facilitate coping with adversity, and this improvised coping will in turn predict future experiences of positive emotion. As this cycle continues, people build their psychological resilience and enhance their emotional well-being.

The claim that the experience of pleasant, positive emotions opens up more opportunities to experience and benefit from pleasant, positive emotions. In short, positivity begets positivity. This effect - the upward spiral - happens because positive emotions encourage people to see more possibilities and opportunities. When they engage with these opportunities, they experience even more positive emotions, which then feed back into building their resilience and enhancing their well-being.

Reference:

Fredrickson, B. L., & Joiner, T. (2002). Positive emotions trigger upward spirals toward emotional well-being. Psychological Science, 13(2), 172-175. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9280.00431