Dealing with Adversity

During the expert session, Bruce engages the audience through interactive exercises using the Mentimeter app, such as thinking about a white bear for a minute to demonstrate the power of ironic thought suppression. He also shares his research on the science of happiness, including the benefits of engaging in positive psychology courses and techniques like psychological distancing, learned optimism, mind control, and meditation. Bruce discusses the importance of understanding our mind's processing, emphasizes the differences between pessimistic and optimistic thinking, and offers practical tips for dealing with adversity effectively.

• Understanding Perspective Shift: Adopting a third-person perspective or using temporal and psychological distancing can help individuals manage emotions and cope with adversity more effectively.

• Overcoming Pessimistic Thinking: Distinguishing between pessimistic and optimistic thinking dimensions, such as permanence, pervasiveness, and personal responsibility, can enable individuals to challenge negative thoughts and adopt a more balanced perspective.

• Embracing Mindfulness Practices: Engaging in mindfulness meditation and other techniques, like the "ABCDE" exercise, can lead to improved mental well-being by rewiring the brain and enhancing resilience against adversity.

In this expert session, neuroscientist and happiness expert Bruce Hood shares insights into dealing with life's setbacks using evidence-based advice. With a background in neuroscience, attention research, and happiness studies, Bruce created a course at the University of Bristol that teaches students how to cope with life's challenges using evidence-based techniques. He emphasizes the importance of taking action rather than just knowing theories for experiencing the benefits of improved well-being.

The session then introduces three powerful exercises: psychological distancing, learned optimism, and mind control. Psychological distancing involves creating a mental separation from negative emotions, while learned optimism is about focusing on positive aspects and expecting favorable outcomes. Mind control refers to practicing techniques that help individuals gain better control over their thoughts and emotions.

Bruce also discusses the significance of ancient Greek philosophy, particularly stoicism, in dealing with adversity. He delves into the differences between pessimistic and optimistic thinking, explaining how our mind processes information based on permanence, pervasiveness, and personal responsibility. Permanence refers to whether negative events are seen as temporary or permanent; pervasiveness involves the extent to which individuals generalize from one situation to their entire lives; and personal responsibility relates to the degree of blame individuals take for setbacks.

Bruce suggests a balanced approach by taking responsibility while considering extenuating circumstances. He then introduces an exercise called "ABCDE," which involves identifying adversity, beliefs, consequences, disputing these thoughts, and creating a more optimistic perspective. The session concludes with Bruce leading a brief meditation exercise to help participants relax and clear their minds.

Throughout the session, Bruce emphasizes the role of language in managing emotions and dealing with adversity, discussing the differences between pessimistic and optimistic thinking and the impact of using third-person language for emotional distancing. The session also highlights the relevance of mental health to physical health, stressing the importance of making positive changes gradually over time and forming healthy habits for sustained happiness.

People. Product. Planet.

Despite warnings, we continue accumulating more possessions, consuming energy, and filling landfills due to our deep-seated need for ownership. This uniquely human preoccupation, rooted in our biology, influences our behavior throughout life. Using examples from child behavior studies, Bruce explains how psychological ownership governs our actions, even when irrational and destructive. This session is essential for anyone interested in human behavior and its environmental impact.

• Excellent, thank you

• Very knowledgeable speaker. Kept us engaged.

• Liked the interaction and use of visuals..

• It was very informative and helpful. Thank you!

• Excellent topic and also brillantly explained by the speaker.

• Very interesting and helpful.

• Very good session. Thank you.

• I would like to thank HR for allowing us to take time for self-development and Bruce Hood for the wonderful information.

• Great and helpful session, thank you very much!

• Love it! Thank you very much. It does comes in the perfect moment

• I really enjoyed the session and feel like i learned a bunch of very valuable things that can help me in the future.

• Worth the time, lots of helpful techniques.

• The session was a bit too short, but very strong speaker. I really prefer Professors (strong academical background) over influencers (who just re-iterate common knowledge in a different way).

• Very helpful. Thanks.

• Great session and presentation! Enjoyed the interaction with Menti.

• Nice session. Great topic! Referred to other educators of whom I took courses. I hope this is taped and will be repeated as it's a very important to share. Thank you. Kind regards.

• Fantastic session!!

• Excellent. I will contact our Global D&I team because I think it would be great if you could speak to our colleagues more globally.

• Great session with very well working systems. Bruce was very inspiring; he was to the point, provided clear and tangible steps to coach yourself. Looking forward to applying these!

• Really nice - learned a lot and was easy to digest and apply.

• Very helpful session to focus on mental health.

• Very informative, easy to follow. Nice to be handed practical methods I can make my own.

• Very interesting. The speaker was excellent. Thank you very much.

• Great!! Please have a repeat of the session or organize more sessions with more time for Q&A.

• Nothing, everything was great.