Description
SERENITY
What is serenity?
Definitions of serenity typically refer to being in a calm, peaceful, tranquil, contented, and untroubled state. In other words, a serene state. Which leads me to ask, what does “serene” mean? When looking at definitions of serene two additional qualities emerge, those of quietude and being composed. So to me, serenity is a very powerful state, one where a person is at peace with who and where they are.
Positive Psychology
My background is in Positive Psychology which is the scientific study of factors that enable individuals and communities to thrive. It studies qualities such as strengths, resilience, optimism, happiness, and personal growth. Want to find more? Discover how Positive Psychology can change your life.
In the Positive Psychology framework, serenity is one of the ten positive emotions identified by Barbara Fredrickson. She proposed that positive emotions have an evolutionary advantage that is distinct from negative emotions. Whereas negative emotions exist to keep us safe and alive, positive emotions exist to build social and psychological resources. They help us to connect with others and build friendships and communities.
They can also boost our psychological well-being and make us more resilient when coping with stress, as they broaden the range of thoughts available to us. Positive emotions enable us to be more creative and better at problem-solving. We don’t go into that infamous fight or flight response. Instead, we are able to see alternative ways out of the stressful situation and can even find positive meaning in it.
The many benefits of serenity
Barbara Fredrickson suggests that each positive emotion has a specific thought-action tendency. This means that specific thoughts and behaviors result from the emotion. In the case of serenity, the thought-action tendency is the urge to savor the moment — to notice and appreciate what is good about the current situation. We are then able to integrate this into new values and priorities resulting in a more refined sense of self.
This represents an upward positive spiral, as we feel more serene we are one with ourselves. In turn, this increases our sense of serenity and so, the upward spiral continues. If you can imagine, that within this upwards spiral other positive emotions are also being cultivated. When feeling serene, it is easier to feel a sense of gratitude, to notice and be thankful for the current situation.
Building a cumulative effect of positivity. I picture this as a vortex, becoming more and more powerful as the positive emotions build, which is ironic when I compare the power we associate with a vortex and the tranquillity we associate with serenity.
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