PErsonality
Below is a brief definition of each dimension of personality, which conveniently spells OCEAN and CANOE:
If you scored higher on extroversion, you are likely to be happier than introverts, research shows. This could be ascribed, in part at least, to the resilience and joy of that often comes with having more human contact. This does increase the number of resources when things get challenging. But don’t worry, we’ll be actively building a network of support in the “creating meaningful relationships” page.
If you scored high on Conscientiousness, then you have an increased chance of being more organized and mindful during college, and hence academically more successful.
If you’re high on Narcissism (negative emotionality), and especially if you also scored Moderate to High on mental distress, consider talking with a mental health counselor.
The good news is that personality is changeable through intentional behavior that moves in the direction of the trait one desires more of (Hudson, et al., 2018). This is especially true during one’s youth. Also, mental illness is a condition that can be successfully addressed with the right kind of help. See some resources below.
Here is one method to reduce narcissism and increase your sense of well-being.
Activity #1:
Write down five positive events from this past week:
1). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Five things I’ve done well this past week:
1). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Doing these activities periodically will help you to identify the positives in your life rather than only seeing or focusing on the negatives. By doing both you'll increase your sense of self-worth, also called self-esteem, and increase your gratitude. Both increase the quality of your life and your resilience to challenges.
Activity #2:
Next, please write a letter of gratitude to someone who has positively influenced your life. Consider using the following points in your letter:
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Another way to increase your happiness and reduce negativity is by using an “at least not” perspective when something goes poorly, during which you begin to state all that didn’t go poorly. This will help give the situation more perspective, rather than thinking of events and obstacles as either bad or good - opening up your possibilities for effective solutions.
The more you practice activities and methods the easier it will become and your mood will improve, increasing your happiness and success.
If you are feeling depressed or have a mental health or life crisis currently or in the recent past, seek help from a mental health practitioner as soon as possible.
Resources for Personality:
For a more intense assessment of your personality along these five dimensions, try: outofservice.com/bigfive
Feedback link: https://forms.gle/9Jbct6y4hZ318Yo49
- Openness to Experience: the degree to which you seek new experiences.
- Conscientiousness: the degree to which you are aware of yourself and what’s around you.
- Extroversion: the degree to which you seek social experiences which give you energy.
- Agreeableness: the degree to which you are willing to get along with other people.
- Neuroticism / Negative Emotionality: the degree to which you have negative emotions and see things “in a negative light.
If you scored higher on extroversion, you are likely to be happier than introverts, research shows. This could be ascribed, in part at least, to the resilience and joy of that often comes with having more human contact. This does increase the number of resources when things get challenging. But don’t worry, we’ll be actively building a network of support in the “creating meaningful relationships” page.
If you scored high on Conscientiousness, then you have an increased chance of being more organized and mindful during college, and hence academically more successful.
If you’re high on Narcissism (negative emotionality), and especially if you also scored Moderate to High on mental distress, consider talking with a mental health counselor.
The good news is that personality is changeable through intentional behavior that moves in the direction of the trait one desires more of (Hudson, et al., 2018). This is especially true during one’s youth. Also, mental illness is a condition that can be successfully addressed with the right kind of help. See some resources below.
Here is one method to reduce narcissism and increase your sense of well-being.
Activity #1:
Write down five positive events from this past week:
1). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Five things I’ve done well this past week:
1). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Doing these activities periodically will help you to identify the positives in your life rather than only seeing or focusing on the negatives. By doing both you'll increase your sense of self-worth, also called self-esteem, and increase your gratitude. Both increase the quality of your life and your resilience to challenges.
Activity #2:
Next, please write a letter of gratitude to someone who has positively influenced your life. Consider using the following points in your letter:
- How they have helped, provide specifics
- When it happened - timing
- Circumstances at the time
- How you felt
- And how it influences you today
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Another way to increase your happiness and reduce negativity is by using an “at least not” perspective when something goes poorly, during which you begin to state all that didn’t go poorly. This will help give the situation more perspective, rather than thinking of events and obstacles as either bad or good - opening up your possibilities for effective solutions.
The more you practice activities and methods the easier it will become and your mood will improve, increasing your happiness and success.
If you are feeling depressed or have a mental health or life crisis currently or in the recent past, seek help from a mental health practitioner as soon as possible.
Resources for Personality:
For a more intense assessment of your personality along these five dimensions, try: outofservice.com/bigfive
Feedback link: https://forms.gle/9Jbct6y4hZ318Yo49
“The cup is more than half-full, with gratitude it is burgeoning.”
-Joe Dorri
-Joe Dorri