When the world feels heavy
The other day, I was sitting at my desk—the one with the small ring of coffee stains near the corner—and I found myself staring at a blank page. Outside, the sky was a bit gray, but the steam rising from my mug felt like a small invitation to just be.
In those moments, my old instinct was to “productive” my way out of the fog. But lately, I’ve been sitting with some research that suggests a different, more hopeful path.
I’ve been diving into the work of Dr. Judith Moskowitz, a social psychologist at Northwestern University. She studies how people navigate intense stress—like caring for a terminally ill partner. What she found is beautiful: even in the hardest seasons, positive emotions don’t disappear; they just need a little more room to breathe.
When the page stays blank
For a long time, we thought of happiness as simply the absence of stress. But Dr. Moskowitz’s research shows that positive and negative emotions actually co-exist.
Even in her studies with caregivers, most people could point to “something positive and meaningful” from their week. A shared laugh. A quiet morning. A sudden bloom in the garden. These moments aren’t distractions from reality; they are the fuel that helps us carry it.
A skeptical look at “Positive Thinking”
I’ll be honest: when I first heard the term “Positive Emotion Therapy,” I was skeptical. It sounds a bit like a “good vibes only” poster. As someone who values the honesty of a pen and paper, I’m wary of anything that feels like performance.
But the data tells a different story. This isn’t about “finding the bright side” or pretending life isn’t hard. It’s a specific set of skills designed to train the brain to notice that life is also still good. One of the skills she highlights is “Savoring.” It’s the act of intentionally lingering on a positive moment. You can do this by telling a friend, or—my favorite—letting your pen trace the details of that moment in your journal.
The analog invitation
I believe journaling isn’t about “fixing” yourself. It’s about slowing down enough to see the whole picture—the challenges and the joys.
If you’re looking for a bit of light today, try this:
1. Notice the Small
Look back at the last 24 hours. What is one tiny, positive thing that happened? It doesn’t have to be a “win.” Maybe it was the perfect temperature of your shower or a song that made you tap your foot.
2. The Savoring Sentence
Write it down. Then, write one sentence about why it felt good. By doing this, you aren’t just recording a memory; you are building a “psychological resource” that stays with you.
Journaling doesn’t make life perfect. It just helps us notice the good stuff that’s already there.
For the Curious (Research Reference)
If you’d like to read this research yourself, you can look up this foundational article by Dr. Moskowitz on Google Scholar or PubMed:
- Moskowitz, J. T., et al. (2017). “Measuring positive emotion outcomes in people with serious illness: A systematic review.” * Moskowitz, J. T. (2003). “Positive affect throughout the life course: experiences of people living with HIV.” (This is the study where she first began noticing that positive emotions co-exist with deep distress).
