Flourishing in an uncertain world
To flourish means to live within an optimal range of human functioning, one that connotes goodness, generativity, growth, and resilience.
You may have heard the term flourishing being used, but not been quite sure what it refers to. It’s an interesting word that we know means more than just feeling good, or doing something healthy, but also has a connotation of pushing yourself in some way to be better than you currently are. To me, flourishing feels like doing something with energy and with meaning, living life to its full – and this is quite true to its origins in that the word derives from blooming, growing, or prospering. Positive psychology gives us a very similar definition, with Frederickson and Losada (2005) suggesting that "To flourish means to live within an optimal range of human functioning, one that connotes goodness, generativity, growth, and resilience.”
However, with growing social and health difficulties that have arisen due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, climate insecurity, and concerns over equity among diverse peoples worldwide, is it even possible to live in this ideal state of human potential? The answer is unequivocally yes, and the need to flourish in these times is more important than ever before – but we must change our mindsets from being afraid of uncertainty to seeing adversity as a lever for change.
A long established tradition of research on human behaviour has found that we often fear ambiguity, and when the world seems out of control it can be difficult to feel a sense of purpose. However, cultivating feelings of empowerment can enhance flourishing and effectively act to reduce fears of an uncertain world. We are already beginning to see the negative impacts that COVID-19 and its associated health issues, isolation, and life stressors are having on mental health conditions (Pfefferbaum, & North, 2020). But there are also indicators that people who feel that they have the ability to keep themselves safe, to remain connected to others, and to grow their competence (in whatever they choose to do) during this time are rapidly, positively adapting to the “new normal” that we all live in.
Diener and colleagues (2010) suggested that flourishing was a sort of "social-psychological prosperity" and that those people who access their full potential were wealthy – not in monetary terms, but in feelings of self-worth, connection to others, and self-determination. So those who flourish have to work to build and maintain the tools that help them deal with difficult times. The good thing is that these tools are accessible to everyone, meaning that being psychologically wealthy (and able to flourish) is possible for all people.
What are the core ingredients to flourishing? It’s a lot simpler than what it seems; do things that make you feel good about yourself in mind body and spirit; grow relationships that are supportive, but also where you can positively influence others; and lastly, know what you can control in your life and what you can’t and take small, incremental steps to regulate your thoughts, feelings and actions. Although the world may seem uncertain, your health and wellbeing do not need to be.
- Jaimee
Diener, E., Wirtz, D., Tov, W., Kim-Prieto, C., Choi, D. W., Oishi, S., & Biswas-Diener, R. (2010). New well-being measures: Short scales to assess flourishing and positive and negative feelings. Social indicators research, 97(2), 143-156. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-009-9493-y
Fredrickson, B. L., & Losada, M. F. (2005). Positive affect and the complex dynamics of human flourishing. American psychologist, 60(7), 678. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.60.7.678
Pfefferbaum, B., & North, C. S. (2020). Mental health and the Covid-19 pandemic. New England Journal of Medicine, 383(6), 510-512. 10.1056/NEJMp2008017